Allée couverte de la Pierre-Turquaise - Megalithic Monuments on Waymarking.com

[FR] Les plus anciennes architectures de pierre du Val d'Oise sont des dolmens a vocation funeraire. Tout comme les menhirs, ils sont l'expression d'une tradition de constructions megalithiques qui remonte au debut du Neolithique (-5000 ans) dans l'Ouest de la France et apparait dans cette region avec la civilisation appelee Seine-Oise-Marne vers 2000 ans avant notre ere.

La plupart des dolmens du Val d'Oise sont des sepultures collectives de type "allee couverte" enterree, caveau rectangulaire construit au fond d'une fosse, protege par des tables de pierre, et probablement recouvert a l'origine par un tumulus de terre.

Ce type de monument a frequemment recu le nom d'anciens ennemis de la France medievale (Sarrasins, Anglais ...).

La tombe fut tres abimee au cours des trois derniers siecles. Elle fut videe et amenagee en chenil pour le prince de Conti en 1755 et servit de cabane aux bucherons de la foret de Carnelle au debut du XIXe s. En 1842, convoitee comme beaucoup de megalithes en gres par des tailleurs de paves, elle fut epargnee grace a l'intervention d'Alexandre Hahn. Il l'etudia alors, ainsi que l'abbe Grimot, ce qui permit son classement comme Monument historique des 1869.

Gravement endommagee par un attentat a l'explosif en 1985, elle a fait l'objet d'une restauration partielle (collage, etayage et repose des pierres eclatees) et a ete a demi-remblayee pour des raisons de securite.

Cette allee est certainement la plus imposante d'Ile-de-France, tant par ses dimensions - la chambre mesure 10 metres sur 3 -, que par la taille de ses blocs - les 12 blocs des parois ou orthostates ont pres de 2 metres de haut et les dalles de couverture pesent entre 8 et 18 tonnes. Ce monument, le seul du departement a etre entierement construit en gres, a egalement comme particularite d'avoir une entree "trilithe" formee de 2 piliers supportant un linteau, au lieu du bloc perfore generalement present. Brise par l'explosion de 1985, le linteau n'a malheureusement pu entre remplace. Autre originalite, le vestibule devant l'entree etait entierement couvert comme le reste du monument, mais les dalles n'ont pas ete remises en place apres l'attentat.

Certains megalithes funeraires du Val d'Oise contenaient les squelettes de plus de 100 individus soigneusement disposes, accompagnes d'objets personnels et d'offrandes. On peut imaginer qu'il en etait de meme pour La Pierre-Turquaise. Mais, apres l'installation du chenil en 1755, seuls de rares ossements humains epars ont ete recueillis dans la chambre. A ces abords, quelques os, outils en silex (haches polies , pointes de fleche, lames ...) et objets de parures (pendentifs en pierre, perle en cuivre, dent de cheval percee) correspondraient aux rejets du XVIIIe s. Lors de sondages realises a l'occasion des travaux de restauration, aucun autre vistige ne fut observe. Les archeologues ne disposent donc pas d'informations sur la population inhumee, les rites funeraires et la periode d'utilisation precise du caveau. La Pierre-Turquaise n'en reste pas moins un temoin prehistorique important de la region qui est regulierement entretenue par l'Office National des Forets.

[EN] The oldest stone structures of the Val d'Oise department are the funerary dolmens. Like menhirs, they are the expression of a tradition of megalithic construction which dates back to the beginning of the Neolithic age (-5000 years) in western France and appears in this region with the civilization called "Seine-Oise-Marne" around 2000 B.C.

Most dolmens in the Val d'Oise deptartment are collective burials of the "passage grave" type, an underground rectangular chamber constructed at the bottom of a ditch, protected by stone slabs, and probably originally covered by a mound of earth.

This type of monument was frequently named after former enemies of medieval France (Sarrasins, English ...) in this case the Turks.

The tomb was greatly damaged during the course of the last three centuries. It was emptied and made into a kennel for the prince of Conti in 1755 and served as a hut for the woodcutters of the Carnelle forest at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1842, like many sandstone megaliths it was highly sought after by paving stone macons. It was spared thanks to the intervention of Alexandre Hahn. He then studied it which led to its classification as an historic monument in 1869.

Grievously damaged by a malicious explosion in 1985, it was partially restored (fragments reassembled and shored up) and filled in half-way for security reasons.

This passage is certainly the most imposing in the Paris region, as much by its dimensions - the chamber measures 10 meters by 3 -, as by the size of the stone blocks - the 12 blocks of the walls are almost 2 meter high and the covering stone slabs weigh between 8 and 18 tons. This monument, the only one in the department to be entirely constructed from sandstone, has also the particularity to have a "trilithic" entry formed from 2 pillers supporting a lintel, instead of the more generally present perforated block. Shattered by the explosion of 1984, the lintel was unfortunately not able to be replaced. Another originality, the vestibule in front of the entry, was entirely covered like the rest of the monument, but the covering stone slabs were not able to put back into place after the vandalism.

Certain funerary megaliths in the Val d'Oise department contain the skeletons of more than 100 individuals carefully laid and accompanied by personal objects and offerings. One can imagine that it was the same for the Turquaise stone. But, after the installation of the kennel in 1755, only sparse human bone fragments have been found in the chamber. Some bones, silex tools (polished axes, arrowheads, blade handles ...) and objects of personal grooming (stone pendants, copper bead, pierced horses tooth) corresponding to refuse of the 18th century. Probes carried out during the restoration turned up no additional observable remains. Archeologists are missing information on the group of persons who were buried here, the funeral rites, and the precise period in which the grave was used. The Turquaise stone remains, nevertheless, an important prehistoric testament in the region which is maintained by the National Forest Office.

Type: Dolmen Number: 12.00 Size: See above Purpose: See above Parking: Not Listed Source: Not listed

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