Dolmen de Bagneux

The dolmen de Bagneux is a megalith located in Saumur, France. It is the largest dolmen in France, and one of the largest in Europe.

Introduction
The dolmen in Bagneux is the largest of the 4,500 dolmens scattered within 60 French departments. Although some portal dolmens in Gironde and in Brittany are a little longer, such as the Flat Stones in Lockmariaker, which is 23 m long, and La Roche-aux-Fées is of similar in size, none are as high or as voluminous as the dolmen de Bagneaux. In Europe only the Spanish dolmen in Antequera, near Málaga, is larger.

Size and temporal background
The overall length of this dolmen is over 23 m and its chamber is over 18 m long. Like all dolmen this one is likely to date from the Neolithic c. 5,000 years ago, and would have received a large number of burials.

Materials
The flagstones of tertiary sandstone which make up the monument come from nearby. A layer of these sandstones, more or less dislocated, exists on the nearby heights of Bournand and Terrefort. The flagstones of the dolmen were probably scattered on the slopes of the hill from where they were pushed down, being transported about 200 to 400 meters. The dolmen is oriented SE as nearly all dolmens in Anjou.

Description
The dolmen is composed of an intact chamber and a damaged porch. The chamber is almost rectangular, only a little narrower on the entrance side. It is made of a single bottom flagstone, 4 supports on the northern side, 4 on the southern side, 4 covering stones and 2 flagstones framing the door. The stone on the right and side, when you look at the monument, is very thin and not very old. It is used to hide a recent wall. The support, in the middle of the chamber does not support anything and is possibly what is left of a dividing wall. Such walls are common among the dolmens of Anjou. The chamber is thus made of 15 flagstones and two wedging stones. Additional wedging stones are possibly still buried.



Legal status
The Dolmen de Bagneux is located on private property. Its commercial exploitation is ruled by the protection and the conservation of the monuments classés of Monuments historiques (France).