Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The alignment of the Bruyères consists of three menhirs aligned with the commune of Baux-Sainte-Croix, in the department of Eure. This site, exceptional in Normandy where megaliths of this type are rare, is distinguished by its north-west/south-east orientation and its proximity to two dolmens. Menhirs, of varying sizes (up to 2.90 m long for the largest, now overturned), are constructed of puddingue, a locally abundant rock, extracted from a clayy and sandy basement.

The alignment was discovered in July 1939 by Maurice Marais, then unknown to the inhabitants. The first excavations revealed a complex setting system around the central menhir, with stones arranged in crown. A second campaign in May 1969 confirmed this structure, uncovering buried pudding blocks serving as supports, as well as three flint esquilles, the only remains of the builders. No precise dating could be established, but there is no doubt about the human origin of alignment.

Ranked historic monument on July 23, 1975, this alignment is one of the only two known in Normandy, with that of the Plumaudière (Calvados). Its rarity and state of conservation make it a unique testimony to neolithic megalithic practices in the region. The menhirs, now located in a wood to the south of the village, are alongside two nearby dolmens: the Hotel-Dieu and the coulée Stone, on the town of Sales.

The excavations also highlighted the lack of significant archaeological furniture, with the exception of flint esquilles. The north menhir, partially buried, has a swing at its base, requiring a reinforcement of stones for its setting. These observations, coupled with the precise orientation of the alignment (24° away from the magnetic north), suggest rigorous planning, although their exact function (ritual, astronomical or symbolic) remains hypothetical.

External links