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Origin and history

The Dolmen de Vauluisant, located in the federal forest of the same name at Saint-Maurice-aux-Riches-Hommes (Yonne), is a megalithic vestige of the Neolithic. It is distinguished by its sepulchral chamber, bounded by two orthostats and two bedside slabs, covered by a unique cover table. Unlike neighbouring dolmens, it emerges largely from the ground (1.50 to 1.70 m high), and its orientation follows a south-west/north-east axis. The site also includes a parallelepipedic block designated as a menhir, measuring 1.54 m tall, as well as eight laid stones surrounding the dolmen, interpreted as the remains of a peristalith or circular enclosure.

The monument was the subject of unsuccessful excavations at the end of the 19th century, before being classified as Historic Monuments in 1889. In 1915, Joseph Perrin, president of the archaeological society of Sens, provided the first detailed description, mentioning a very inclined cover table, re-established horizontally in 1931 during restoration work. A 1998 topographical survey reveals that the enclosure surrounding the dolmen is actually rectangular (11 m x 7 m), with two blocks paired at its southeast end, suggesting the presence of a second dolmen similar to those in the region.

The site is part of a larger megalithic complex: within a radius of two kilometers, there are the dolmens of Trainel and the Bois de Bray in the northwest, as well as several polishers to the south, including that of Lancy. These elements testify to a dense and organized human occupation during the Neolithic period, marked by complex funeral and craft practices. The dolmen of Vauluisant, with its menhir and its enclosure, thus illustrates the architectural and ritual traditions of this time in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

The dolmen structure, partially collapsed (a bedside slab collapsed in the chamber), and the presence of natural bowls on the menhir add to its archaeological interest. Although the excavations did not deliver objects, the site remains a valuable testimony of the local neolithic communities, whose collective burials and stone monuments reflect a hierarchical and sedentary society, mastering the techniques of size and transport of megaliths.

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