Bois des Géantes dolmens

About

The necropolis of the Bois des Géantes or necropolis of the Bois des Géandes (also known as the necropolis of the Bois des Joyandes and the necropolis of the Bois des Jayandes), is a megalithic funerary site composed of six dolmens spread over a total area of about 750 m within the public wood plots of Laoul belonging to the commune of Bourg-Saint-Andéol, department of the Ardèche in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The soil environment of megalithic constructions has a strong limestone substrate. The location of the dolmens was determined by two prerogatives: on the one hand the existence of a natural depression (enhanced and enlarged when the dolmens were installed), guaranteeing greater stability and support against a rocky outcrop; and on the other hand the presence of a large stony cluster providing the material necessary for the implementation of megalithic structures. The construction of these megalithic funeral structures is dated to the final Neolithic 2a-Chalcolithic (between about 3,000-2,900 and 2,200 BC) for some and the ancient Bronze for others, their use ending at the recent Bronze...