Bois-Brard's hypogeum

The hypogeum of Bois-Brard ( French Hypogée du Bois-Brard ) is located between the districts of Bagneux and Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent in the city of Saumur in the Maine-et-Loire department in France .

Discovered by rock breakers in 1837 , the hypogeum lies beneath two huge sandstone blocks that have been left in their natural position. The grave vault, which has been cleared out in the sand below, is bordered by vertical slabs that also support the only intact capstone.

In addition to about 20 intact skulls, other parts of skeletons were also found in greater numbers. Intact corpses were apparently buried elsewhere. After the decarnation (or excarnation), the bones in this ossuary were methodically arranged.

There exist in France, especially on the Marne , on the Oise and in the southeast hypogea. The highest concentration with almost 170 hypogea can be found in the chalk cliffs in the Marne department , especially in the moor of the Marais de Saint-Gond . These burials all date from the Neolithic Age (3500-3000 BC)

literature

• Gérard Cordier, Michel Gruet: L'Age du Bronze et le Premier Age du Fer en Anjou In: Gallia Préhistoire 1975 / 18-1, pp. 157–287.

Web links

• Description and pictures (French)

Coordinates: 47 ° 15 '13.8 "  N , 0 ° 5' 49.8"  W.