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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The menhir dit la Pierre Plantée, also named Roche de Dormelles, Pierre leverée or Pierre au Prince, is a 1.60 m high sandstone block located in the commune of Dormelles in the Seine-et-Marne department. Its inclination could result from earlier archaeological surveys. This megalithic monument, although of modest size (1.70 m wide at the base and 0.90 m thick maximum), bears witness to the ancient human presence in this region.

Ranked as historical monuments from 1900, this menhir is one of the protected megalithic sites of Seine-et-Marne. Its current, slightly tilted state and its small dimensions make it a characteristic example of the megaliths of this geographical area. The research carried out, like that of Alain Bénard in Les megalithes de Seine-et-Marne (2009), underscores his archaeological interest in the wider context of the prehistoric monuments of Île-de-France.

The Pierre Plantée is part of a landscape where the megaliths, although fewer than in Brittany or the Great West, nevertheless mark the neolithic occupation of the Paris basin. Its early ranking (1900) reflects the desire to preserve these remains, often threatened by urbanization or agricultural activities. Today, there remains a silent testimony of funeral or ritual practices in local prehistoric communities.

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