Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dolmen du Pavois, located in Saint-Nicolas-la-Chapelle in the department of Dawn (Great East), is a funeral monument dating from the recent Neolithic. It consists of four orthostats (vertical straps) supporting a cover table of convex shape, while a small slab closes the entrance. This type of structure, typical of the collective burials of the time, reflects the funeral practices and beliefs of the sedentary farming communities that then occupied the region.

Archaeological excavations carried out in 1966 by A. Lemoine revealed significant remains, although the grave suffered previous violations. Among the discoveries are a flint of flint, four pieces of pottery and bones, some of which are calcined, belonging to at least two distinct individuals. These artifacts provide an overview of funeral rituals and everyday objects used nearly 5,000 years ago, while highlighting the symbolic importance of this site to local populations.

The dolmen du Pavois was recognized for its heritage value and listed as historic monuments by order of 14 May 1993. This legal protection aims to preserve this exceptional testimony of megalithism in Champagne-Ardenne, a region where several similar sites attest to a dense human occupation during the Neolithic period. The preservation of this monument allows today to study the construction techniques and the social organization of the prehistoric communities of the Dawn.

External links