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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pierre Dialan, also known as Pierre Dyalan or Pierre Yollan, is a erratic quartz block located in the Bois du Nid du Chien, near Jurques (Calvados). Although classified as dolmen in 1889, its status as a megalithic monument has been contested since the 19th century. Excavations revealed human and animal bones, as well as flint and bronze objects, but no treasure.

Associated with the legend of Gargantua, the stone was a place of pilgrimage where grandmothers laid palm branches to protect their grandsons from conscription. Arcisse de Caumont and Léon Coutil have demonstrated that it was a natural formation, unrelated to neolithic funeral practices.

Today, the Pierre Dialan is located in the forest, near the Jurks Zoo and a former sandstone quarry. A marked path leads to this classified site, surrounded by Norman Bocager legends. Its access remains free, although its exact location is discreet, at the limit of an excavation.

The ranking of 1889, maintained despite scientific doubts, makes it a curious testimony of popular beliefs and archaeological errors of the nineteenth century. The objects discovered (silex, bronze) suggest human use, but without evidence of structured ritual use.

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