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Origin and history

The tumulus of Poix, located in the department of Marne in the Grand Est region, is a funeral monument dated from the Protohistory. Ranked historic monument by decree of April 3, 1963, it measures 70 meters in length for an elevation of 10 meters. This site was the subject of archaeological excavations on several occasions, notably in 1811, in 1840, then under the impulse of Napoleon III. Despite these investigations, there is no archaeological evidence to confirm its connection to the battle of the Catalan fields (451), although this hypothesis was considered.

The excavations carried out in the 19th century, especially those ordered by Napoleon III, were aimed at clarifying the history of the tumulus, sometimes associated with the burial of the wisigoth king Theodoric I. However, the research did not make it possible to decide definitively on this allocation. In 1844, the landowner partially flattened the hill, changing its original appearance. This monument remains a major testimony of protohistoric funeral practices in the region.

The tumulus of Poix is part of a wider archaeological context, marked by debates about the location of major historical battles, such as that of the Catalan fields. The successive excavations reflect the interest in this site, both in its historical potential and in its heritage value. Today, it is protected as a historical monument, stressing its importance for the understanding of the Protohistory in Champagne-Ardenne.

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