The Middle Neolithic long mound of Prissé-la-Charrière is in the Deux-Sèvres département of western France, some 25kms south of the town of Niort. In the course of five successive field seasons (1995-1999), a surface area equivalent to 70% of the mound has been excavated and deeper soundings have been made in selected locations. The results show this to be a long mound of primarily dry-stone construction, some 100m in length. It is trapezoidal in plan, with a maximum width of 19m at the broader eastern terminal tapering to 15m at the west. A pair of parallel kerbs run along the entire length of the northern and eastern sides and continue around the eastern terminal. Excavations have revealed two major burial features: a burial chamber, without passage, in the western end of the mound; and a ruined passage grave, opening from the north side of the mound some 60m from its eastern end. A third burial feature takes the form of a slab-lined cist on the crest of the monument, close to its western end. It is now clear that the western burial chamber belongs to an early phase, associated with an original long mound of relatively modest dimensions. This early long mound was subsequently buried and incorporated within the larger long mound which we see today. The infilled quarry ditches of the early mound were built over during the enlargement process.

The internal chronology of Prissé-la-Charrière, beginning with the western chamber, subsequently sealed by the addition of a small long mound, provides a basis for new reflections on the development of these architectures in western France as a whole. It should also be noted that the passage grave at Prissé-la-Charrière appears to be associated with the secondary enlargement of the mound, and hence logically must post-date the original long mound.