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Origin and history

La Pierre Tourneresse is a dolmen located north of Cairon, Calvados, Normandy. Known since the 19th century, its archaeological significance was recognised only from 1992. Initially perceived as a simple cover table surrounded by stones, it revealed, after excavations conducted by Emmanuel Ghesquière between 1996 and 1999, a complex structure including a tumulus of 24 meters in diameter and two funeral chambers. The site, partially destroyed in the Gallo-Roman era, served as a quarry, erasing parts of the original monument.

The dolmen has two separate rooms: a large, rectangular 4 by 3, preceded by a corridor of 8.80 meters, and a smaller pear-shaped room, accessible by a short corridor. The large room, looted during the Second World War, contained the remains of about eight individuals, while the little one housed a child and a perforated canine pendant. Traces of a pre-existing habitat, dated 4400 B.C., were discovered under the monument, revealing a house 15 meters by 7, surrounded by other domestic buildings.

The excavations also revealed fragments of pottery attributed to the Northern Chasseen, as well as bones dating from the beginning of the fourth millennium BC (3900–3700 BC). Carbon dating 14 confirmed the funeral use of the site over a long period of time. The dolmen, inscribed in historical monuments since May 19, 1954, illustrates the funeral and architectural practices of Neolithic in Lower Normandy.

According to a local legend, the Pierre Tourneresse, like other megaliths in the region (Gouvix, Fresney-le-Puceux, Livarot), would have the power to turn on itself. This popular belief, though without a scientific foundation, bears witness to the mystical aura surrounding these monuments for centuries.

The excavation campaigns led by Emmanuel Ghesquière allowed the reconstruction of the site's history, revealing its evolution from prehistoric habitat to a complex funeral monument. The studies published, notably in Rennes University Press (2011), underline its importance for understanding neolithic practices in Normandy. Today, the site remains a major testimony of life and death in the Neolithic region.

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