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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Dolmen de la Pierre Cesée is an angeline megalithic building built in sandstone during the Neolithic period. Located in Soucelles, in the department of Maine-et-Loire, it is distinguished by its funeral chamber of more than 7 meters long, covered by a single table of cover of 8,80 meters, broken but still in place. The structure consists of side slabs, one of which is 2.90 metres high, partially buried, and a split but stable pillar. Excavations in 1929 revealed artifacts such as ceramic coats and flint, including a scraper.

Ranked a historic monument in 1910, the dolmen underwent a controversial restoration in 1958, during which debris delivered new archaeological remains. Its original architecture included an entrance porch, of which only traces remain, and a slab of shuttering today buried. The site illustrates the funeral practices and megalithic construction techniques of the time, while bearing the marks of subsequent human interventions.

Local folklore attributes the construction of the dolmen to a fairy, whose heel and stick print would be visible on the cover table. Two traditions explain his name: one evokes a stone broken (caese) by lightning, the other a deformation of Caesar, in connection with a nearby menhir called Caesar's Finger. These narratives reflect the popular imagination associated with megaliths, often perceived as supernatural works or linked to mythified historical figures.

The studies of the dolmen are based in particular on the work of archaeologist G. Denizot and the observations of Desmazières, who documented its structure and archaeological context. The ceramic and lithic remains discovered testify to an active human occupation during the Neolithic period, while the restorations of the 20th century raise questions about the methods of conservation of the megalithic heritage. The site remains an emblematic example of Angelian funerary architecture, integrated into a landscape rich in prehistoric monuments.

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