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Origin and history

The Dolmen des Bignes, also known as Pierre des Bignes, is a megalithic complex located at the edge of the communes of Habloville and Neuvy-au-Houlme, in Orne. This Neolithic complex originally consisted of a tumulus dolmen, a tumulus with burial chambers, and a third tumulus now destroyed by agricultural works. These three structures formed a scalene triangle, visible from the surrounding plain, and their local name bignes means bumps in patois, with reference to their relief.

The dolmen sepulchral chamber, rectangular in shape, is bounded by four orthostats (vertical straps), three of which still support an imposing micace granite cover table (3.25 m long, 2.95 m wide, 0.80 m thick). Orthostats are granite or quartzite, while the table presents natural grooves and cupules, mistakenly interpreted in the 19th century as traces of sacrifices. A small corridor, mentioned in 1835 by Arcisse de Caumont, once led to the bedroom, but its slabs had disappeared in 1902.

The site, which had long been looted because of a local legend evoking a treasure guarded by a genius, was searched in 1963 by Bernard Edeine. These investigations revealed that the tumulus was originally a cairn (rock piles) not covered with soil, surrounded by a neat wall of trimming (2.25 m thick). Human bones, belonging to about a dozen individuals, were found there, buried in varying positions, sometimes on slabs or in pits. The dating would place its construction in Chasseen (Medium Neolithic).

During World War II, the tumulus served as a temporary grave for German soldiers during the Falaise pocket fighting. Ranked a Historic Monument since November 4, 1931, the site has undergone degradation related to agricultural activities and stone removals, partially altering its original structure. No evidence of funeral furniture was kept due to old looting.

The agricultural work also changed the landscape around the dolmen, creating an artificial bowl that does not reflect the initial appearance of the tumulus. The 1963 excavations revealed a clay base containing traces of charcoal and animal bones, suggesting ritual or domestic practices associated with the site. Today, there are only partial remains of this funeral complex, a witness to Norman megalithic traditions.

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