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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen des Pierres Chevêches, also known as Four Sarrazin, is a megalithic burial site in Saint-Just, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. This funeral monument dates from Neolithic, more precisely from the end of this period, around 2500 B.C. It is a dolmen with a lateral entrance, an architectural type common in the north of Brittany, but whose configuration differs significantly from other nearby monuments, such as Treal, located less than 2 km away.

The site was first described by Alfred Ramé in 1864 and then by P. Bézier in 1883, although the dolmen was already damaged at that time. These early surveys documented a structure surrounded by a rectangular terrace 22 metres long by 7 metres wide, bounded by shale slabs. The funerary chamber, excavated inside the tumulus, was initially 7 metres long for 1.20 metres wide, with fourteen orthostats and four tables of cover, only one of which has disappeared since the 19th century.

Among the architectural peculiarities are the presence of cupulas on one of the roof tables, including a particularly deep (14 cm wide by 10 cm deep). These engravings, typical of some megalithic constructions, add a symbolic dimension to the monument. The dolmen was classified as historical monuments by order of 3 March 1975, thus recognizing its heritage importance.

The Four Sarrazin has an architectural similarity with the covered driveway of Crec'h Quillié, suggesting a filiation or typological evolution in the region. The dolmens with lateral entrances, like this one, are characteristic of the end of Neolithic in Northern Brittany. Its present state, partially degraded, reflects the disturbances experienced since its discovery, while retaining key elements to understand the funeral practices of the time.

Archaeological studies, including those conducted by Jacques Briard and his collaborators in the 1990s, have provided a better understanding of the importance of this site in the local megalithic landscape. The Dolmen des Pierres Chevêches is now protected and belongs to the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, although its access and visit are not explicitly documented in the available sources.

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