Petit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis
Neolithic (4000–2000 BCE)·European Neolithic·🇨🇭 Valais, Switzerland
About
About Petit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis
Petit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis in Valais, Switzerland is a Neolithic megalithic monument dating to c. 3500–2500 BCE, built of local stone and associated with Atlantic farming communities. The site comprises passage graves, dolmens or standing stones sited on a ridge or plateau overlooking settlement territory. Excavation and survey have documented collective burials, ceramic deposits and landscape alignments illustrating ritual use and territorial marking.
Why it mattersKey European Neolithic site in Valais.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology of monument phases and reuse
- 02Source of stone and transport logistics
Theories
- 01Territorial marker for farming community
- 02Collective burial and ancestor ritual focus
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic (4000–2000 BCE)
- Culture
- European Neolithic
- Purpose
- Ritual and funerary monument
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction and primary use
20th century
Modern archaeological investigation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
46.2311° N · 7.3594° E · 489 m · 2 mapped features
Petit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis Main Chamber
structurePrincipal megalithic feature at Petit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis, well-preserved structure with diagnostic finds
46.2316° N · 7.3599° EPetit-Chasseur Megalithic Necropolis Secondary Feature
structureSecondary megalithic element illustrating site complexity and reuse
46.2307° N · 7.3602° E