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Origin and history

The Dolmen de Charcé, also known as Pierre Couverte de Beaupreau, is a megalithic site located in Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance, in the department of Maine-et-Loire. It dates from the Neolithic and consists of a dolmen surrounded by scattered blocks, including a menhir 2.40 meters tall in eocene sandstone. These stones could be the remains of a cromlech or a second dolmen destroyed, according to the assumptions of local historians such as Godard Faultrier and Celestin Port.

The main menhir, classified as historical monuments in 1889, was initially accompanied by at least another prismatic block, described in 1946 by Michel Gruet as a half-filled element of 1.65 m wide. Interpretations vary: some see a cromlech (stone circle), while others, such as Port, suggest that it is the remains of a second dolmen or a peulvan (menhir breton). The blocks were located in the immediate vicinity of the dolmen, about 17-19 meters northwest.

Historical sources, including the work of Michel Gruet (Megalithes en Anjou, 2005), underline the archaeological importance of the site, although its exact configuration remains under discussion. Dolmen and its environment illustrate the funeral and ritual practices of Neolithic in Anjou, a region rich in megalithic remains. The approximate location of the site near Beaupréau Road and its early ranking (1889) reflect its enduring heritage interest.

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