Construction period Néolithique (≈ 4100 av. J.-C.)
Estimated erection of the menhir.
5 juillet 1978
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 5 juillet 1978 (≈ 1978)
Official protection by order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Menhir (Box B 6): Order of 5 July 1978
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The Menhir du Gué Blandin, also known as the Menhir du Gué Péan, is a megalithic monument erected during the Neolithic period. It stands close to the hamlet of Gué Péan, 2 km northeast of the village of Izé, in the department of Mayenne. This site is next to another menhir, that of Petite Thébauderie, located 200 m south, in the commune of Saint-Thomas-de-Courceriers. The menhir, a height of 1.85 m, illustrates the importance of megalithic constructions in this area during prehistory.
The Menhir du Gué Blandin was classified as historical monuments by order of 5 July 1978. This official protection underscores its heritage and archaeological value. Today, the megalith belongs to an association and its exact location is estimated as "a priori satisfactory" according to the geographical databases. Its approximate address, 5284 Le Gué Blandin, allows to situate it in the rural landscape of Mayen.
Menhirs, such as that of Gué Blandin, were often associated with ritual, funeral or territorial practices during the Neolithic period. In the Pays de la Loire, these monuments probably marked gathering places or landmarks in a landscape then dominated by nascent agriculture and livestock. Their presence attests to a complex social organisation and a remarkable technical mastery for the time, particularly in the work of stone.
