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Origin and history

The Dolmen des Grouges, also known as the Dolmen du Bois des Chailles, is a megalithic monument located in Saint-Ciers-sur-Bonnieure, Charente. Dated from the Middle Neolithic, it is located at the place called the Bois des Chailles, on the edge of the forest and on the edge of an ancient road linking Saint-Claud to Mansle. This simple dolmen, of small size (1.85 m by 1 m), is oriented north-south and had no tumulus. It consists of a local limestone slab based on three irregular pillars.

In the 1970s, the dolmen was almost destroyed, but an intervention by the Société archéologique de la Charente allowed a safeguard search and its winding up. It was listed as a historic monument on August 27, 2012. The excavations revealed modest furniture: lithic tools (arrow tips, scraper, flint blades), bone punch fragments, and some atypical ceramic teasses. These artifacts suggest a dating between the Artenacian and Vienna-Charente culture.

The site, now covered with mosses and lichens, has been restored to place the stones in their original position. Its location, close to an ancient road linking Chassenon to Terne, underlines its importance in the regional megalithic landscape. The studies carried out, notably by José Gomez de Soto and Bernard Vandermeersch, have helped to document its history and archaeological context.

Dolmen illustrates the funeral and cultural practices of the Middle Neolithic in New Aquitaine. These monuments often served as collective burials, reflecting complex social organization and beliefs related to death. Their preservation provides valuable testimony to the construction techniques and lifestyles of the prehistoric communities of the region.

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