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Origin and history

The Menhir de la Demoiselle de Rhuis, also known as Pierre de Rhuis, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Rhuis, in the department of Oise (Hauts-de-France). It is the only remaining standing vestige of a group of menhirs formerly named Les Demoiselles de Ruis, whose existence is attested by testimonies of 1764. By that date, the set had at least six erected stones, reduced to two in 1789, before a second menhir was destroyed in 1793. Today, this isolated menhir is 3 meters high for 2.30 meters wide and 0.5 meters thick.

The monument was included in the inventory of Historic Monuments by an Order of September 16, 1982, recognizing its heritage value. Historical sources, such as Paul de Mortillet's writings in 1911, confirm his membership in a larger megalithic ensemble, typical of the prehistoric constructions of the region. The Mérimée base specifies its cadastral location (park A 428) and its administrative connection to the town of Rhuis, in the arrondissement of Beauvais.

The Demoiselle de Rhuis illustrates the funeral or ritual practices of neolithic societies, although its exact dating remains undetermined. Its present state, as well as the destruction suffered at the end of the eighteenth century, reflect the cultural and political upheavals of this period, especially during the French Revolution. Today, the site remains accessible and bears witness to the ancient occupation of the Hauts-de-France, in a department rich in megalithic remains like the Oise.

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