Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre
MonumentHidden Treasure
Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre, located in Andonville (Loiret), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Andonville, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2584, 2.0220
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098674
Standing for over 5,000 years in the heart of the Loiret region, the Pierre Clouée d'Andonville is one of the few listed dolmens in the Centre-Val de Loire region, a striking vestige of Neolithic megalithic ingenuity.
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History
The dolmen known as La Pierre Clouée - or Koraïre as it is known locally - stand like a fragment of eternity in the soil of the Beauce region of Orléans. This megalithic monument, listed as one of France's first Historic Monuments in 1889, bears witness to organised human occupation and rituals dating back to the Neolithic period, around 4,000 to 2,500 years BC. What sets the Pierre Clouée apart from the countless dolmens found in Brittany and the south of France is precisely its geographical rarity: there are singularly few dolmens in the central Loire basin, giving it exceptional archaeological and symbolic value. Its presence in this open agricultural plain, far from the major megalithic concentrations, invites us to reconsider the extent of the cult and burial networks of Neolithic societies in temperate Europe. The experience of visiting the site is both humble and striking. There are no crowds, no fences: the Pierre Clouée can be approached in almost total silence, making for an immediate, carnal encounter with prehistory. You can touch the orthostats of local sandstone or limestone, see for yourself the titanic collective effort involved in erecting such blocks without metal tools, and understand that these Neolithic men were just as ambitious builders as their medieval successors. The surrounding rural setting - cereal fields, hedgerows and the immense sky that is characteristic of the Beauce region - reinforces the feeling of temporal isolation. The dolmen seem to have been forgotten by the centuries, which contributes to their authentic charm, far removed from the saturated tourist circuits. For the curious walker, photographer or archaeo-amateur, the Pierre Clouée offers an intimate, unfiltered encounter with the origins of European humanity.
Architecture
La Pierre Clouée belongs to the family of simple dolmens or single-chamber dolmens, the most widespread form of Central European megalithism. Its structure is based on the universal principle of orthostatic-horizontal architecture: several vertical stone posts - the orthostats - support one or more horizontal roof slabs, forming an enclosed chamber that served as a collective burial site. The blocks that make up this chamber are probably made of Cretaceous limestone or siliceous sandstone, materials available in the geological formations of the Loiret and the neighbouring regions of the Paris Basin. Transporting and placing these blocks, which can weigh several tonnes, required sophisticated lifting techniques using earth ramps, levers and collective traction - a remarkable logistical feat for a metal-free society. The dimensions of the monument, though modest compared with the great Breton cairns, are still imposing on a human scale, with a chamber whose interior length is estimated at between two and four metres. The orientation of the dolmen, as with most of its French counterparts, seems to take account of solar or lunar cycles, with the presumed entrance to the chamber facing east or west according to the ritually significant seasons. Today, the monument as a whole is in a partial state of preservation, with some elements having been moved or sunk into the ground over the centuries, but the general outline of the monument remains legible and evocative.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, figure tutélaire de la protection des mégalithes français au XIXe siècleHommes du Néolithique moyen (culture de Cerny ou Seine-Oise-Marne) — bâtisseurs anonymes du dolmen, vers 3500-2500 av. J.-C.Érudits locaux du Loiret (XIXe siècle) — antiquaires et archéologues amateurs qui signalèrent le monument aux autorités nationalesGabriel de Mortillet — préhistorien français dont les travaux de classification des mégalithes au XIXe siècle contribuèrent à valoriser des monuments comme la Pierre ClouéeÉdouard Piette — archéologue français ayant participé aux premiers inventaires mégalithiques du Bassin parisien dans les années 1870-1880
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre located?
Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre is located in Andonville, Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
Is Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre open to visitors?
Dolmen dit La Pierre Clouée ou Koraïre is currently closed to visitors.