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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Pierre Turquaise, or Pierre Turquoise, is a neolithic covered alley located in the forest of Carnelle, in Saint-Martin-du-Tertre (Val-d'Oise). This funerary monument, the largest and most famous in the Paris region, is associated with Seine-Oise-Marne culture. It is 110 m above sea level, near the Ru de Presles, near the GR 1 and other megalithic sites such as the Menhir de Saint-Martin-du-Tertre or the covered driveway of the Blanc Val. His name could evoke the pagans, assimilated to the Turks, a common interpretation for ancient sites.

In 1755, the site was reportedly emptied and turned into a kennel for the hunting dogs of the Prince of Conti. In the 19th century, it escaped destruction by the intervention of the prehistorian Alexandre Hahn in 1842, while his stones were to be used to pave the streets of Paris. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1874, he underwent several restorations, notably after an explosion in 1985 which seriously damaged his structure. The work of the 1980s revealed that the monument had been completely emptied, probably as early as the 18th century.

The covered driveway, 12 meters long, consists of a master bedroom and an antechamber, the largest in the region. Her sandstone slabs of Fontainebleau support symbolic sculptures, interpreted as representations of the goddess of the dead. The entrance trilith, adorned with bas-reliefs (stylished nipples and necklace), was severely damaged in 1985, but the sculptures were preserved. The funerary furniture discovered on the outskirts (polished axes, trimmings, flint tools) testifies to its sepulchral use.

The Turquaise Pierre illustrates the megalithic neolithic architecture, with its orthostats and cover tables. Despite the absence of visible tumulus, its existence is assumed. The site, restored by the Historical Monuments, is now refilled for security reasons. Its sculpted lintel, discovered in 1969, and its turbulent history make it a major testimony of the Franciscan prehistoric heritage.

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