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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The menhir de la Basse-Crémonville, located in Val-de-Reuil (Eure), was first mentioned in 1842 during road works. This 3.30 m high Senonian limestone block was then described as a pointed stone, partially buried. A search at its base revealed an irregular point at 1.25 m underground, not related. A characteristic noted was its parallel alignment with the valley and a parallelogram cavity at its top, possibly linked to subsequent practices.

The road works also revealed a circular neolithic collective burial of 4.50 m in diameter, consisting of three superimposed levels. Each level contained radially arranged skeletons, heads towards the wall and feet towards the centre, separated by rubble. Only three skeletons were found intact, accompanied by a fragment of coarse vase and a stone hatchet. The structure, 1.65 m high, was covered with a bellows vault and the menhir itself, suggesting a funeral bond between the two elements.

In 1865, the menhir was threatened by the construction of the Louviers-Rouen railway. Thanks to the intervention of the Société française d'archéologie, the mayor of Louviers André Prétoats, and his deputy Mr Marcel (who had supervised the excavations in 1842), a credit of 400 francs was allocated for his trip in May 1866. The operation, carried out by 24 men, caused the break of the menhir in two parts. He was then relocated to a bed of limestone and concrete at the presumed burial site.

The menhir now presents a break 1 m from the ground, vestige of its displacement, and a square niche near the summit, perhaps dug to place a Christian statuette there or during further work. Ranked a historic monument on 27 June 1927, it now belongs to the department of Eure. Its history illustrates the challenges of preserving megaliths in the face of modern amenities.

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