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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Dolmen du Bois des Roches, located in Beaulieu in the department of Ardèche, is part of a group of thirteen dolmens spread over this commune. It is also known as dolmen n°1 or dolmen des Chaumettes. This megalithic monument, typical of Neolithic, bears witness to the funeral and architectural practices of this distant era.

Ranked as historical monuments in 1889, the Dolmen du Bois des Roches was described for the first time by Jules de Malbos (1782-1867), a geologist and speleologue ardéchois. This early ranking underscores its heritage and archaeological importance. The site is shared between the communes of Beaulieu and Saint-André-de-Cruzières, with thirteen dolmens on Beaulieu and four on Beaulieu.

Dolmens, like the Wood of the Rocks, were generally used as collective burials. Their construction reflects a complex social organization and beliefs related to death and beyond. These monuments, erected with large stone slabs, mark the landscape and constitute valuable remains to understand the Neolithic societies of the region.

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