Construction of a sepulchral gangway Néolithique récent (culture Seine-Oise-Marne) (≈ 4100 av. J.-C.)
Estimated period via archaeological furniture
1942
Site discovery
Site discovery 1942 (≈ 1942)
When digging a German trench
6 octobre 1947
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 6 octobre 1947 (≈ 1947)
Official Protection Order
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Sepulchral Alley (Box B 91): Order of 6 October 1947
Key figures
Information non disponible - No historical character cited
Sources do not mention any specific actors
Origin and history
The covered alley of Pinterville, discovered in 1942 during the digging of a trench by German troops, is a megalithic burial dated from the recent Neolithic, associated with the Seine-Oise-Marne culture. Located on the right bank of the valley of the Eure, in the place called Vallon du Parc, it presents itself as a structure of 10 meters long, oriented north-south, with an entrance to the south and a vestibule separated from the funeral chamber by a sewn slab. Classified as a historical monument by decree of 6 October 1947, it bears witness to the collective funeral practices of that time.
The excavations revealed the bone remains of 25 to 50 individuals, mostly young men (aged 20 to 40), accompanied by 7 children and a few women. The bodies were arranged lying, head to the south and feet to the north, on the paving of the chamber. Anthropological analyses showed a population of less than the Neolithic average (1.58 m for men, 1.48 m for women), with heavily worn but poorly caried teeth, typical of agricultural societies of the period.
The funerary furniture discovered includes various objects: a polished axe in green rock, a tip of flint javelin, bone punches, pearls in mother-of-pearl, jais and bones, and drilled fossil shells. Two bronze age or early iron age vases found at the entrance to the vault suggest partial reuse of the site at a later time. These artifacts illustrate the cultural exchanges and ritual practices of the Neolithic communities in the region.
The grave of Pinterville offers valuable insight into the funeral rites of the recent Neolithic in Normandy. The presence of soot defences, perforated fox teeth and pierced stones indicates symbolic practices or body ornaments. The study of bones, carried out at the Human Museum's Laboratory of Anthropology, allowed to estimate a minimum number of 25 individuals, although some skeletons were destroyed during the discovery. This site remains a major testimony of the social organization and beliefs of the populations of Seine-Oise-Marne culture.
