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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The so-called tumulus of justice is part of a set of four tumuli located in Tusson, Charente department. These funeral monuments, dated Neolithic, are among the most imposing in Europe. They are aligned on a south-west/north-east axis, about 200 metres apart, and have never been searched. Their layout on a plateau makes them visible from a distance, overlooking the surrounding landscape.

The tumulus of Justice is 25 meters in diameter. Unlike other tumuli of the site, such as the Big Dognon (138 m long) or the Little Dognon (57.40 m long), it is modest in size. The ensemble was protected as historical monuments between 1960 and 2012, with an official inscription for the tumulus of justice on 19 October 1960. No objects or vestiges were extracted from these structures, preserving their archaeological mystery.

These tumuli are part of a larger megalithic landscape, including a fifth vented tumulus, the tumulus of Magnou, located 600 metres southwest. Their construction reflects the collective funeral practices of Neolithic, a period marked by the emergence of sedentary and agricultural societies in Europe. Their alignment and size suggest a complex social organization and a desire to mark the territory on a sustainable basis.

The sources available, notably the works by Roger Joussaume and Jean-Sébastien Pourtaud, underline the importance of these sites in the study of megalithism in New Aquitaine. Their preservation allows us to study the construction techniques and beliefs of neolithic communities, although the absence of excavations limits the precise knowledge of their use and content.

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