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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The megalithic burial of Treal, located in Saint-Just en Ille-et-Vilaine, is a neolithic funeral building built near a purple shale outcrop. Measuring 15.50 m long, it is bounded by 26 orthostats (14 north, 12 south) and covered with nine shale slabs, although two have disappeared since the 19th century. Its side entrance, facing south-east, gives access to a room paved with slabs, while an elliptical cairn would fill the whole, consisting of shale and quartz. The site, damaged by treasure hunters from the 19th century, was searched and restored after its acquisition by the department in 1989.

At the end of the 19th century, P. Bézier realized the first detailed description of the monument, followed in 1927 by Paul Banéat. The 1991-1992 excavations, led by Jacques Briard, reveal a modest but significant archaeological furniture: lamellar sandstone shrapnel, a blond flint arrow tip, and rock crystal and fibrolith pendants, typical of the Middle Armo Rican Neolithic. A pit containing hunting pottery (c. 3500 BC) suggests an occupation prior to the monument. Classified in 1975, the grave illustrates the funeral practices and megalithic architecture of the region, despite the degradations suffered over the centuries.

The monument, built from local materials (schist and quartz), bears witness to a notable technical mastery for the period. Its cairn, partially preserved, and its interior pavement reflect a complex social organization, where collective burials played a central role. The objects discovered, such as the axe-pendeloque in fibrolith, highlight the cultural exchanges and symbolic beliefs of the neolithic communities of Armorique. Today the departmental property, the site offers a preserved, though restored, example of Breton megalithic architecture.

The fires of 1989 accelerated the degradation of the site, leading to its acquisition by the departmental council of Ille-et-Vilaine. Systematic excavations made it possible to specify his chronology, revealing traces of previous occupation (hunt) and confirming his funeral use to the Middle Neolithic to final (c. 2500 B.C.). Ceramics of the "pot of flowers" type, associated with the Seine-Oise-Marne culture, testify to links with other regions. The restoration aimed to stabilize the structure, while preserving the authentic elements, such as the remaining orthostats and covering slabs.

Lithic furniture, including scrapers and flint slats, indicates local artisanal activities, while Touraine's blond flint suggests long-distance exchange networks. Rock crystal pendants, rare ornaments, highlight the social status of the deceased or the ritual character of the site. Despite the ancient looting, these discoveries offer valuable insight into funeral practices and Neolithic technologies in Brittany. The 1975 classification and subsequent work safeguarded this fragile heritage for future generations.

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