Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen de Caranda is a megalithic monument located in Cierges, in the department of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. Discovered by chance in 1851, it was the subject of archaeological excavations carried out by the Historical and Archaeological Society of Château-Thierry in 1872, then by Frédéric Moreau in 1873. This research revealed a rectangular funeral chamber of 3.60 m long, bounded by orthostats and covered with slabs. The site, after study, was buried, and its exact location is no longer visible today.

The excavations discovered three human skeletons, flint tools (lames, scrapers, daggers), a deer horn punch, and animal teeth (horse and beaver). These artifacts, partially preserved, were documented in the Caranda Album (1877-1893), illustrated by Jules Pilloy. Some of the collections were left to national museums, including the Musée d'Archéologie nationale de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The dolmen, which was listed as a historic monument in 1889, bears witness to neolithic funeral practices in the area.

Frédéric Moreau, a local archaeologist, played a key role in the study of the site. Its surveys describe a south-west/north-east facing structure, with a paved floor and uneven cover tables. Subsequent publications, such as Gustave Millescamps (1874), highlighted the importance of the site in understanding the coexistence of stone, bronze and iron tools until the Merovingian era. Today, the dolmen remains a notable example of the megalithic heritage of Aisne, although its access is lost.

Future

In 2014, the dolmen is no longer visible. There is no indication on the site of its location or that of the numerous burials.

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