In the department of Haute-Savoie, the dolmen known as La Cave aux Fées, or Chambre aux Fées, stands as a Neolithic archaeological site. Classified as a monument historique in 1889, the structure is oriented along a north-east/south-west axis. It is covered by a single arkose slab broken into two parts, measuring approximately 5 m in length, 3.20 m in width, and 0.40 m in thickness, with an estimated weight of 15 t.
The rectangular chamber is 3.20 m long and 2.30 m wide, delimited by six orthostates with heights varying between 1.50 m and 2 m. The stones are set close together, with the gaps between vertical supports filled with small stones. According to a survey by Henri Gosse in 1886, the slab at the northern end reached a height of 2.80 m. Louis Revon noted that these orthostates rest on flat stones. All the slabs are composed of protogine, grès, and serpentine, and some of the orthostates show traces of carving.
Access to the chamber is through a north-west opening measuring 1.40 m wide by 1.25 m high. The dolmen is now partially buried following a landslide, leaving the floor of the chamber about 1.50 m below the surrounding ground level. While some calcinated bones were found there, recent clandestine excavations have uncovered pottery fragments featuring geometric decorations typical of the Campaniform culture.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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