Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen des Grèves de Fraicul, originally located in Barbuise (Aube, Grand Est), is a covered driveway dating from the recent Neolithic period. This megalithic monument was originally located in the Charnier wood, near the Frécul farm, in an area rich in neolithic remains and the Bronze Age. The alluvial plain of the surrounding Seine was home to several archaeological sites, including burials, enclosures and habitats.

The covered walkway was searched in 1864, revealing a 4.40 m long sepulchral chamber composed of seven orthostats and three roof tables. Oriented north-south, it was connected to the largest dolmen of Frécul. The furniture discovered includes human bones, flint tools, polished axe fragments, pottery studs ( Seine-Oise-Marne culture) and animal remains. Two vases, one of which is pot-de-fleur style, are known by drawings but have disappeared.

Threatened by the activities of the carriagemen, the dolmen was moved in 1874 to the courtyard of the Saint-Loup museum in Troyes to preserve it. It was listed as a historical monument in 1993. This site illustrates the collective funeral practices of recent Neolithic, in a regional context marked by dense human occupation and cultural exchanges.

The excavations highlighted the importance of Barbuise and La Saulsotte, where at least 16 megalithic monuments have been identified, although their exact location is often uncertain. The Dolmen des Grèves de Fraicul is part of a broader archaeological landscape, including pens, habitats and necropolises dating from Neolithic to Bronze Age.

Recent studies, such as those of Anne Augereau (2004) or Gautier Basset (2017), highlight the role of these sites in understanding the prehistoric societies of the Paris Basin. The furniture, now preserved or documented, offers clues on funeral rituals, crafts and exchange networks of the time.

External links