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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The menhir, called La Pierre Montée d'Aviré, is a megalithic monument located in the municipality of Segré-en-Anjou Bleu, Maine-et-Loire. Ranked as historical monuments in 1889, it consists of a trapezoidal quartzite slab measuring 2.50 metres high and about 3 metres wide at its base. This central block was initially surrounded by four other stones arranged in arc of circle, suggesting an intentional spatial organization.

According to archaeologist Michel Gruet, these blocks were resting on a bed of ashes and charcoal, without traces of pottery or bones. In 1943, these peripheral stones were destroyed by the landowner. Other shale and quartz blocks, probably natural, extended this arc to the northeast, while in the east, five puddingue or quartzite stones were complete together. Most were destroyed or buried in 1958, leaving only one block.

The site, although partially altered, provides rare evidence of neolithic practices in the region. Its early ranking (1889) underscores its heritage importance, despite the gradual disappearance of its elements annexed to the twentieth century. The remains suggest a possible ritual or symbolic function, typical of the megaliths of this period.

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