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Origin and history

The Dolmens du Bois de Blusseret, located in Aillevans, Haute-Saône, form a set of three megalithic burials built between the final Neolithic and the Bronze Age. Their architectural homogeneity and common burial practices suggest that the same sedentary population should build. These funerary monuments, oriented east-west, were initially included in circular or trapezoidal tumulus, with chambers bounded by limestone orthostates. Dolmen No. 1, a historic monument in 1979, has undergone five phases of construction and redevelopment, including use as a possible sanctuary.

Archaeological excavations, carried out in 1954, 1960 and 1973, revealed traces of collective burials (at least 23 individuals for Dolmen No. 1 and about 50 for Dolmen No. 2), as well as food offerings (bones of wild boars, ovitaprides). Funeral furniture, not abundant, includes flint tools, ceramics from the final Bronze, and metal objects (pearls, alenes). Dolmens show signs of abandonment to the ancient Bronze, followed by partial reuse, such as incineration pits at the final Bronze.

The dolmen n°1, protected by a forest chalet, is distinguished by its vestibule and rectangular chamber dug into the ground, while the dolmen n°2, of similar structure, has an unexcavated square chamber. Dolmen No. 3, in poor condition, shares the same architecture but with broken slabs. These monuments illustrate the evolution of funeral and cult practices over more than a millennium, before turning into a pile of spies until the 20th century.

The studies point to the continued use of dolmens, with successive burials whose bones were delayed to accommodate new deceased. The presence of human teeth (between 3,500 and 4,000 for dolmen n°2) and votive objects suggests a place of collective memory. Despite ancient excavations that disrupted the archaeological layers, the findings confirm the ritual and social importance of these sites for local prehistoric communities.

Ranked a historic monument in 1979, Dolmen #1 is now protected, while Dolmens #2 and #3, although less preserved, contribute to the understanding of megalithic traditions in Franche-Comté. Their location on a hill overlooking Ognon, at 300 m above sea level, reinforces their symbolic character, linked to a natural and funerary landscape marked by the sedentarization and cultural exchanges of the era.

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