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Origin and history

Les Pierres Jumelles is a set of two menhirs located in Cambrai, northern department. These sandstone blocks, about 4 meters high, stand at 3.60 meters one from the other. Their origin remains enigmatic: no similar sandstone quarry exists nearby, suggesting transport for at least 15 kilometres. Placed on limestone rocks more resistant than their environment, they did not reveal any remains of masonry or associated monument during excavations.

Mentioned as early as 1396 in the Cambrai archives, these stones were searched in 1735 under the impulse of Abbé de Carondelet, vicar general of the diocese. Further investigations in 1805, conducted by the Cambrai Demulation Society, did not clarify their function or origin. Ranked historic monuments in 1889, the menhirs were once located on the edge of a Roman way, feeding local legends, like that of two Gauls transformed into stone after a duel for a druidesse.

The excavations of 1784 and 1805, although deemed insufficient, confirmed the absence of surrounding architectural traces. Stones, in rough sandstone, contrast with local limestone, reinforcing their exceptional character. Their alignment and their almost identical size (1.33 m wide, 90 cm thick) still question archaeologists. No inscription or object was discovered to attest to ancient hypotheses, such as that of a monument dedicated to Mercury or the Canusius proconsul.

Local folklore attributed a tragic origin to the Twin Stones: two young Gauls, rivals for the love of a Druidesse, allegedly killed on the spot, their petrified bodies giving birth to menhirs. This legend, although lacking archaeological evidence, illustrates the attachment of local communities to these remains, perceived as sacred or memorial markers for centuries.

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