Initial burial use 3770–4498 av. J.-C. (≈ 4134 av. J.-C.)
Burials in the dolmen Petit (fox collar).
3500–4500 av. J.-C.
Construction of megaliths
Construction of megaliths 3500–4500 av. J.-C. (≈ 4000 av. J.-C.)
Edification of dolmens and menhir on a peninsula.
4350–2600 av. J.-C.
Site Transformation
Site Transformation 4350–2600 av. J.-C. (≈ 3475 av. J.-C.)
Circle of stones, ditch, and redevelopment of dolmens.
Ier siècle av. J.-C.
Gaulish reuse
Gaulish reuse Ier siècle av. J.-C. (≈ 51 av. J.-C.)
Spots and fanums nearby.
Ve–VIe siècle
Merovingian necropolis
Merovingian necropolis Ve–VIe siècle (≈ 650)
One hundred graves dug in the tumulus.
1974
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 1974 (≈ 1974)
Protection of the dolmen of the Cradle and the menhir.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Léon Petit - Archaeologist and farmer
Searches from 1924 to 1927, discovery of the Dolmen Petit.
Michel Souty - Archaeologist
Surveys in 1975–1976 on the site.
Dominique Jagu - Archaeologist
Systematic exploration from 1983 onwards.
Origin and history
The megalithic site of Changé, bordering Maintenon and Saint-Piat (Eure-et-Loir), is a funerary complex dating from the Neolithic period (3500–4500 BC). It consists of three dolmens (including the dolmen du Berceau and the dolmen Petit) and one menhir (The Gargantua Goal), aligned on the same axis. The excavations revealed that these monuments were originally located on a peninsula at the confluence of the Eure and a tributary. The slabs, extracted locally, were used for collective burials or ceremonial rites, as evidenced by the engravings of axes and idols in the dolmen du Berceau.
The site was used in three phases. First, the dolmens housed burials (skeles, fox canine collar) between 3770 and 4498 B.C. Then, around 4350–2600 B.C., the Dolmen Petit was transformed: its cairn disassembled to form a circle of stones, and its covering slab erected in menhir. A ditch and tumulus were added, while a flint-sized workshop was installed. Finally, the site was condemned: the slab of the Dolmen Petit inverted, and the whole covered with a tumulus of 30 m in diameter.
Re-used in the Bronze Age by the Gauls (trace of fanums, pits with ceramics of La Tene D and bones of animals), the site became a Merovingian necropolis (Vth–VIth century) with nearly 100 graves dug in the tumulus. The skeletons, mostly female, were buried in wooden coffins, head to west. In the Middle Ages, a quarry of sand and gravel implanted, also reusing burials of the Upper Empire.
The monuments were studied in the 19th century, with major excavations conducted by Léon Petit (1924–27), Michel Souty (1975–76), and Dominique Jagu (from 1983). Modern techniques (air photography, electromagnetic prospecting) confirmed the importance of the site, partially classified as historical monuments in 1974. It is the highest concentration of megaliths in Eure-et-Loir.
Archaeological discoveries include hunting objects, Gaulish coins, and unique rock engravings. The Dolmen du Berceau, with its 30 tons slab, and the Menhir Le But de Gargantua illustrate neolithic engineering. The site thus bears witness to a continuous occupation over more than 6,000 years, from Neolithic to Merovingian.
