Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Menhir des Petites Jaunières, nicknamed the Bonhomme, is a megalithic monument located in the Givre, in the department of Vendée (Pays de la Loire). Dated from the Neolithic, this 3-metre-long granite block was straightened in the early 20th century after a period of inclination or fall. Its precise alignment with the Menhir du Champ du Rocher, less than 600 meters to the west, suggests a symbolic or astronomical intention, typical of the constructions of this period.

Ranked as historical monuments by order of 3 December 1980, the menhir enjoys a recognized heritage protection. Its present state is the result of a recent human intervention (retirement), while its exact location, near the so-called Mainborge, is documented in official bases such as Mérimée. Sources, including Bertrand Poissonnier's Prehistoric Vendée (1997), confirm its integration into the network of megalithic Vendean sites.

Menhir illustrates the cultural and religious practices of Neolithic in Pays de la Loire, where the agro-pastoral communities erected stones for probably ritual or commemorative purposes. These monuments often marked the landscape in a sustainable way, serving as territorial landmarks or as links to the world of ancestors. Their modern preservation, like that of the Lesser Jaunières, allows us to study these missing societies through their material heritage.

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