La Hougue des Géonnais

The Neolithic passage Tomb La Hougue des Géonnais in the parish of St. Ouen on the Channel Island of Jersey was already largely destroyed before the excavation in 1929. Recent excavations have shown that its initially D-shaped chamber was probably extended by a rectangular area as early as the Neolithic. Eight in situ stones of the corridor, one of the chamber and three fallen supporting stones have been preserved.
There are two other passage tombs in Jersey that have such large chambers. The ceilings of the geometrically slightly different chambers of these megalithic sites could not have been covered with large stones. Their marginal orthostats are too small to support capstones of the required size. A cantilever vault, as it was used in time and space in northern France, is also rather unsuitable. It is conceivable that the chambers had wooden roofs, but the new excavations at La Hougue des Géonnais did not provide any evidence for this. The chambers of the monuments may have been uncovered and, while in use, formed open arenas.

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