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Origin and history

The dolmen of Saint-Hilaire, located in Saint-Priest-la-Plaine in the Creuse, is a megalithic monument dated to the Neolithic. It is distinguished by a complex architecture including an access corridor, characteristic of the collective burials of this period. Around 1840, an attempt to disassemble its cover table to make it a millstone failed, but partially altered its structure. The site was searched and restored before being listed for historical monuments on 27 February 1990.

Funeral material discovered on site includes blond flint tools, including a polished axe, as well as ceramic teasses, including a round bottom cup. These artifacts suggest a prolonged use of dolmen, covering the medium and final Neolithic. The site is part of the broader context of Limousin megalithism, studied in particular by Claire Gautran-Moser and Dominique Vuaillat in their work on the dolmens of the region.

The dolmen of Saint-Hilaire illustrates the collective funeral practices of Neolithic, where these monuments served as burial places for local communities. Its inscription as a historic monument in 1990 underscores its heritage importance, while allowing its preservation. Regional studies, such as those published in the Memoirs of the Society of Natural and Archaeological Sciences of Creuse, contribute to a better understanding of its role in the local megalithic landscape.

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