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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Pierre-aux-Fées, also known as menhir de Saint-Micaud, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Saint-Micaud, Saône-et-Loire. This silicified 6.35 m high and about 15 tons darkose block features engravings, including a horny snake and Jupiter lightning, attributed to a Gallo-Roman cult dedicated to Magna Mater. These motifs, made by picketing, combine the influences of Atlantic megalithism and regional specificities, dating from the ancient Neolithic to the final Neolithic.

Originally, two erect stones were represented on the map of Cassini, 5 m apart. One was overthrown and broken in the 19th century, while the second collapsed in 1871 before being buried. In 1911, Victor Berthier, president of the Autun Natural History Society, began his exhumation and recovery with the help of Eugene Schneider. Joseph Déchelette, alerted by Berthier, identified the engravings and attributed them to a Gallo-Roman ritual context. The menhir was then moved 37 m and erected on the roadside.

Ranked a historic monument on August 26, 1928, the menhir was associated with local legends, such as that of a peasant and his wife petrified for disrespecting a procession. Another tradition links stones to a Gaulish victory, although this interpretation is based on toponymic confusion. The engravings, visible in razing light, include serpentiform motifs, buttocks and geometric signs, showing complex symbolic practices.

Comparative studies place the Atlantic motifs (snake, sign in "U") with the ancient Neolithic, while anthropomorphic representations and the roergat "object" would date from the medium to the final Neolithic. These elements highlight the cultural and spiritual importance of the site, which combines various influences in a regional megalithic context. Menhir remains a major testimony of prehistoric artistic and religious practices in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

The restoration and presentation of the monument at the beginning of the twentieth century allowed its preservation, while providing insight into the techniques and beliefs of neolithic societies. Today, it is a must-see archaeological and historical heritage, illustrating both technical ingenuity and the symbolic richness of this period.

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