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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The megalithic ensemble of Creux, located at Saint-Bômer-les-Forges in Orne, is a dolmen dated from the Neolithic. It was reported in 1908, but had already suffered degradation as early as 1895, when stones were recovered and its presence was interfering with the ploughing. Drained in 1909 by Mr. Hubert, it was classified as a historical monument on November 27, 1975. Originally, the tumulus was approximately 12 metres in diameter at a height of 1.50 to 2 metres, surrounded by a peripheral retaining wall.

The architecture of the dolmen, now partially destroyed, evoked that of a corridor dolmen, with an east-west orientation. It originally included large-grained granite slabs, some of which were moved or buried after the excavations. A 2.80-metre long blanket table remains, while a second, 2.20-metre long, is lying on the ground. Nearby, a rectangular granite chest, probably originally covered with a large slab, completes the whole.

The excavations of 1909 revealed pottery, systematically broken by the terrasses who hoped to find a treasure there. Part of the archaeological material was then destroyed in a railway accident before being studied. Locally, the site was known as the Champ du Trésor, reflecting the legends associated with this type of monument.

The historical descriptions, notably those of Marcel Baudouin and Léon Coutil, indicate that the monument had characteristics close to the covered alleys of Seine-Oise-Marne culture. Despite its deterioration, there remains an important testimony of the funeral and architectural practices of Neolithic in Normandy.

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