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Origin and history

The Menhir de la Pierre du Hochu, also known as Pierre de la Bergère, is a megalithic monument located in the forest of Domnèche, on the town of Lusanger, in the Loire-Atlantique. This block of ferrous sandstone, veined with quartz, adopts a pyramidal shape and is 2.65 meters high for a maximum width of 2 meters. Its thickness varies between 0.65 and 0.85 metres, making it a typical example of the Neolithic constructions of the region.

Ranked as historical monuments by order of 20 October 1928, this menhir testifies to the importance of megalithic sites in the local heritage. Its location in the forest and its geological composition are studied for archaeologists, especially since its mention in the Archaeological Dictionary of the Loire-Inferior (1882) of Pitre de Lisle du Dreneuc. No additional information is available on its precise use or construction context.

The Pays de la Loire region, and more particularly the Loire-Atlantique, has several comparable megalithic sites. These monuments, erected in Neolithic, were probably linked to ritual, funeral or territorial practices. Their presence reflects the social and spiritual organization of prehistoric communities, although the specific details of this menhir remain largely unknown in the absence of in-depth excavations or contemporary written sources.

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