La sépulture à entrée latérale de Beaumont en Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust

Threatened by replantation after a forest fire and in the past used as a quarry, the megalithic monument of Beaumont at Saint-Laurent-sur-Oust (Morbihan) is interesting from an architectural and artifactural point of view. Despite the absence of the capstones and some of the uprights, the monument belongs to the "sépulture à entrée latérale" group comprising a rectilineal burial chamber oriented east west with an entry situated at the eastern end of the south side. At the western end a small independant chamber is situated. An oval stone cairn covers the monument, two to three courses of the outer dry stone walling surviving. The artefacts comprise several vessels of the Quessoy style (round bottomed bowls and flat bottomed carenated bowls), a shird with vertical decoration of the Kerugou style, a lithic assemblage comprised essentially of flint blades, polished axes, sandstone flakes and several elements of dress ornament. The artifacts enable us to date the monument to the final neolithic. The soil fill of the tomb contained fragments of calcinated human bone. The interest of the monument is further increased by its position on a natural promontory dominating the Oust valley and by the presence of a possible habitation site.