Construction of menhir Néolithique (≈ 4100 av. J.-C.)
Estimated period of megalithic alignment.
1840
Cartography by Léon Audé
Cartography by Léon Audé 1840 (≈ 1840)
Menhir listed on a French map.
1889
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 1889 (≈ 1889)
Official protection of the French State.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Menhir number 5 (Box A3 397): ranking by list of 1889
Key figures
Léon Audé - Cartographer
Listed the menhir in 1840.
Marcel Baudouin - Researcher
Interpreted its shape as an elephant.
Origin and history
The Menhir de la Coin-du-Rocher, also known as Menhir Elephant or Menhir du Champ du Rocher, is a massive granite block located in Avrillé, in the Vendée department. Measuring 4.65 meters wide for 4 meters high and weighing about 9 tons, its imposing shape earned it its nickname. It is the only vestige of a neolithic alignment initially composed of at least three blocks, oriented north-south.
Ranked as historical monuments in 1889, this menhir appears on the map of Léon Aude erected in 1840. Marcel Baudouin, a researcher, thought to recognize the contours of a skull, an ear and an elephant trunk, reinforcing his popular name. Its exact location is reported in Beaulieu, near Avrillé, with an approximate GPS location.
The site is referenced in the Merimée database under the code INSEE 85010, attached to the municipality of Avrillé. Although its state of conservation is partial, it reflects the importance of megaliths in the prehistoric landscape of the region. No information is available on its current accessibility or visit conditions.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review