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Origin and history

The Menhirs du Châtillonnais, located in the north of the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, are emblematic remains of Neolithic. Although the area is best known for its Celtic sites such as Vix or Vertillum, these erect stones testify to a much older human occupation. Three of them, including the Menhir du Cheval Gris and the Menhir de la Tête de Chevau, have been listed as historical monuments since 1889 and 1923, highlighting their archaeological importance.

The menhir of the Grey Horse, measuring 2.30 meters, is located near the Menley Bosse tumulus in Chambain. That of Châtillon, originally located in the woods of Vaupinard, was moved several times before being returned to Mauvilly. Finally, the Menhir de la Tête de Chevau, also called the Grande Borne, marks the road between Coulmier-le-Sec and Villaines-en-Duesmois. These monuments, often associated with local legends, illustrate the funeral and symbolic practices of neolithic societies.

Other remarkable stones, such as Nod-sur-Seine's pierced stone or Montliot-et-Courcelles' cupstone, complement this megalithic heritage. Sites such as Balot Rock Shelters, where flint tools and prehistoric animal bones (mammouths, woolly rhinoceros) have been discovered, confirm the former occupation of this area. These remains offer valuable insight into the daily life and beliefs of the populations of the Neolithic in Burgundy.

The Châtillonnais region also retains traces of other periods, such as the barred spur of Duesme, where a neolithic ditch borders the ruins of a feudal castle. This mixture of remains, ranging from Prehistory to Antiquity, makes the Châtillonnais a key territory to understand the evolution of human societies in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Menhirs, in particular, remain major landscape and historical markers, protected for their heritage value.

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