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Origin and history

Le polishoir de la Grouas is a megalithic slab located in Martigné-Briand, in the department of Maine-et-Loire, in the region of Pays de la Loire. This monument, of oval and sandstone shape, presents several natural bowls and polishing lines, characteristic of the prehistoric tools used to sharpen or shape stone objects. Three main striations are visible on its southern edge, including a large 38 cm long and 2.5 cm deep, as well as two polishing bowls reusing natural cavities on the eastern edges and on a detached fragment.

The polisher was registered as historical monuments by order of 6 December 1982, thus recognizing its archaeological and heritage importance. Nearby, about 150 meters east, is another megalithic monument: the Pierre Levée de la Grouas. These vestiges bear witness to the ancient occupation of this territory and the artisanal practices of prehistoric populations.

Available sources, including Michel Gruet's work in Megalithes en Anjou (2005), highlight the interest of this site among the many megalithic monuments of the region. The precise location of the polisher is indicated in the Mérimée base under cadastre J 104, in Martigné-Briand, confirming its anchoring in the historical and cultural landscape of Anjou.

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