Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Griffs du Diable polishing house, located at the border near Courtalain, is an archaeological vestige dated from the Neolithic period. This type of monument, used to polish stone tools, bears witness to early human activity in this green area crossed by Yerre. In 1987, it was listed as one of the few tangible traces of this period in the department of Eure-et-Loir.

Courtalain, now integrated into the new town of Vald-Yerre, was historically a territory marked by an influential local nobility, such as the families of La Bruyère, d-Avaugour or Montmorency. These lords shaped the architectural heritage of the region, notably with the castle of Courtalain (15th century) and the church of Saint John the Baptist. The polisher, although long before these constructions, recalls that this land was already frequented long before medieval times.

The region, located at the borders of Perche and the Dunois country, was a crossroads of exchanges from prehistoric times. Polishers, often associated with funeral or artisanal sites, played a key role in the manufacture of agricultural or domestic tools. The Devil's Claws illustrate this technical tradition, while feeding local legends related to his evocative name.

Today, the polisher is a private property, which limits its accessibility to the public. Its inscription in 1987 preserved it as a major archaeological witness of Neolithic in the Centre-Val de Loire. It is part of a landscape with medieval heritage (castle, church) and prehistoric traces, offering a stratified reading of local history.

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