Tumulus of Bougon

The Tumulus of Bougon or Necropolis of Bougon is a group of five Neolithic barrows located in Bougon, near La-Mothe-Saint-Héray, between Exoudun and Pamproux in Nouvelle-Aquitaine [1]. Their discovery in 1840 raised great scientific interest [1]. To protect the monuments, the site was acquired by the department of Deux-Sèvres in 1873 [1]. Excavations resumed in the late 1960s [1]. The site is located on a limestone plateau within a loop of the river Bougon [1]. Tumulus B is a long mound, 36 m long and 8 m wide [1]. A 35m long and 2 m tall drystone wall subdivides the Bougon complex in two zones, separating Tumuli E and F from the rest of the site [1]. Several finds, including a piece of wood, proved the Neolithic date of this feature, unparalleled among the megalithic monuments of France [1].