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Origin and history

The alignment of the Plumaudière, also called Pierres du Hu, is a megalithic site located at the Champ du Houx, near the hamlet of the Plumaudière, in the former commune of Montchauvet (now integrated in Souleuvre en Bocage, Calvados). Officially composed of nine menhirs registered in the Historical Monuments since June 30, 1976, it represents the only alignment of this type known in Normandy. The stones, in local quartz extracted from an underground line identified by the University of Caen, suggest a close origin without distant transport. Some, such as the Stone of Hu (3.20 m high), dominate the north-south alignment, although missing or overturned blocks testify to an initially larger set.

In 1870, a commission described twenty blocks by 60 metres long, arranged in two parallel rows (fourteen and six stones). Successive clearings dispersed the least massive menhirs, while neolithic tools (axes in flint and diorite, scrapers, rare scraper) were discovered nearby. A survey in 1966 by Robert Caillaud under the Pierre du Hu revealed a depth of only 0.30 m, without a calving pit, raising questions about the authenticity of the current alignment. These remains could be the relics of a much larger site, partially destroyed by agricultural activity.

A local legend attributes the formation of menhirs to divine intervention: the devil, seeking to destroy the priory of the Plessis-Grimoult with stones, was stopped by a hurricane triggered by the monks' prayers. The rocks, abandoned in haste, would have fallen into the ground or upright, leaving the surrounding fields "screened". This account reflects popular beliefs that associate megaliths with supernatural forces, while illustrating the challenges posed by these stones to plowers.

The alignment, although partially altered, remains an exceptional testimony of neolithic practices in Normandy. Its inscription as Historic Monument underlines its archaeological importance, despite the uncertainties about its original configuration. The lithic tools found nearby confirm an ancient human occupation, linked to extraction and the size of the local stone.

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