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Heritage classified

Origin and history

La Pierre de Coicas, also known as Pierre de Coëtcas, is a megalith located in the commune of Saint-André-des-Eaux, in the Loire-Atlantique department, in the Pays de la Loire region. This monument, dated from the Neolithic, was wrongly classified as menhir in 1889, when it is actually the last vestige of a covered alley that still had nine stones at the end of the 19th century. Today, there is only one granite slab of 3.15 m long, 2.20 m wide and 0.65 m thick, decorated with cupulas (artificially excavated cavitated). Two other megalithic stones were reported nearby: the missing moon was 300 m away, and the Pierre David is 900 m northeast.

According to a local legend, this megalith would hide a treasure accessible only on Christmas night, adding a mystical dimension to this archaeological site. The excavations or studies carried out on site are not detailed in the available sources, but its early ranking (1889) shows its heritage importance, although its present state is very degraded.

At the end of the 19th century, covered aisle was still partially visible, with nine erect stones. Today, the remaining slab, though fragmentary, preserves tangible traces of neolithic practices, such as cupulas whose exact function (ritual, symbolic or practical) remains debated by archaeologists. The accuracy of its location is considered mediocre (note 5/10), and its access seems free, without any specific tourist development.

Neolithic in the Loire-Atlantique was marked by the erection of megalithic monuments, often linked to funeral or community practices. The covered aisles, such as that of Coicas, probably served as collective burials or places of worship, reflecting a complex social organization. Local people then lived in agriculture, livestock and collection, with polished stone tools. These megaliths, scattered throughout the region, show a dense and structured human occupation, well before the age of metals.

The Loire-Atlantique, rich in megalithic sites, illustrates this pivotal period when societies move from nomadism to sedentarization. The cupules, frequent on erect stones, could be associated with propitiatory or astronomical rituals, although their interpretation remains hypothetical. The legend of the treasure of Coicas is part of an oral tradition common to many megaliths, mixing popular beliefs and prehistoric heritage.

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