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Key figures

Origin and history

The tumuli of Tusson form a set of four prehistoric funeral monuments located on the plateau east of the village of Tusson, in the Charente department. These oval structures, aligned on a south-west/north-east axis and about 200 metres apart, are among the largest in Europe. They bear the names of the tumulus of Justice, Petit Dognon, Gros Dognon and Vieux Breuil, and have never been the subject of archaeological excavations. Their size varies: the Big Dognon, trapezoidal, is 138 meters long for a height of 10 meters, while the Little Dognon (57.40 m) was cut off by a road. A fifth tumulus, the Magnou, ventrated and smaller, is located 600 meters southwest.

These tumuli were gradually protected as historical monuments: the Gros Dognon in 1960, followed by the tumulus of Justice in the same year, then the Old Breuil in 1962 and finally the Petit Dognon in 2012. Their dating dates back to the Neolithic period, marked by the emergence of collective funeral structures in Europe. A fifth circular tumulus, reported in 1883 but now extinct, once completed this set. Sources also mention bibliographical references, such as the works of Roger Joussaume or Jean-Sébastien Pourtaud, which place these monuments in the wider context of the megalithism of the West Centre.

The alignment and the exceptional size of these tumuli suggest a complex social organization and a desire to make a lasting mark on the landscape. Their preservation, despite the absence of excavations, makes them unique witnesses of neolithic funeral practices. The location in Charente, a region rich in megalithic sites, reinforces their archaeological interest. The descriptions available highlight their visibility from the horizon, reinforcing their symbolic and commemorative dimension for ancient populations.

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