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Origin and history

The necropolis of Bois des Géantes, located in Bourg-Saint-Andéol en Ardèche, is a megalithic funerary site composed of six dolmens spread over about 750 metres. These structures, erected between 3000-2900 and 2200 B.C., illustrate three architectural types: bas-rhodanian, caussenard and Languedocian. Their location, determined by a natural depression and a stony cluster, guaranteed stability and supply of materials.

The dolmens were first mentioned in 1837 by the Bonnefont surveyor, then studied in the 19th century by Jules Ollier de Marichard and Léopold Chiron. Ranked historic monuments in 1900 as "Dolmens of the Joyandes", they were initially seven, but only six were later identified. Their use extended from the final Neolithic to the Bronze Age, with traces of modern objects attesting to visits in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The 19th-century excavations, led by Ollier de Marichard and Chiron, revealed varied funerary furniture (arrow stitches, trimmings, shell collars) and human remains. In the 20th century, sporadic archaeological campaigns, especially in the 1970s, made it possible to discover bronze artifacts, pearls and fragmented bones. The site was restored and studied in the 21st century under the auspices of the DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The toponym "Wood of Giants" (or variants such as "Joyandes") evokes local legends linked to giants, reflecting an oral tradition combining these megaliths with mythical creatures. The dolmens, built on a limestone substrate dated to the lower Cretaceous, are surrounded by tumulus of varying sizes, some still intact.

The architecture of the dolmens varies: the Languedocian type (dolmen no. 1) includes an antechamber, while the caussenard types (dolmen no. 2, 3, 5, 6) and bas-rhodanian (dolmen no. 4) have trapezoidal burial chambers or elevated tables. The most imposing dolmen 1, has a cella of more than 10 m3, compared to 3 to 6 m3 for the others.

The last excavations (2002-2013) confirmed the prolonged use of the site, with stratigraphic layers dating back 5000 years, revealing an environment formerly conducive to agriculture. Today protected, the site bears witness to the funeral practices and beliefs of the prehistoric societies of Lower Victoria.

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