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Origin and history

The dolmen of Santoche, also named Pierre aux Gaulois or dolmen de la Châtre, is a megalithic monument built in the final Neolithic (IVth-IIIth millennium BC). It initially consists of a square burial chamber (1.80 x 1.90 m) covered with two slabs, accessible by a slab-hublot. A trapezoidal cairn (9 m long) was later added, framing the entrance by two orthostats. The site, reused as a shelter in Roman times, was partially destroyed after this period.

Recognised as a megalithic site in 1963, it was searched in 1969, revealing bones of at least twelve individuals, stone strikers and shrapnel related to slab size. These remains are evidence of prolonged funeral use and artisanal practices. The dolmen, transformed into a murger after its destruction, was classified as a historical monument on 9 December 1974 for its archaeological value.

Located at 378 meters above sea level in the municipality of Santoche (Doubs), the dolmen dominates the Doubs valley along the plateau. Its architecture evolves in two phases: a chamber dug into the limestone, then adding a cairn and orthostates. The excavations confirmed its role as a collective burial, typical of the Neolithic megaliths of Franche-Comté, as well as its subsequent appropriation by the Romans.

Studies published in Gallia prehistory (1976) by Piningre, Pétrequin and Chaix analyze human remains and furniture, emphasizing the importance of the site to understand the funeral and social practices of the Neolithic region. Today protected, the dolmen belongs to the commune and remains a major testimony of the franc-comtoise prehistory.

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