Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The polisher of the Lay forest, also known as the Bois-Brûlé polisher, is an archaeological vestige located in the departmental forest of the Tour du Lay, in Nesles-la-Vallée (Val-d'Oise). This monument, discovered in 1969 by the group of archaeological studies and research of Val-d'Oise, consists of a sandstone table of 6,50 m long by 2,30 m wide, partially grounded. It has eight or nine polish grooves, bowls and two percussion zones, characteristic of neolithic tools.

The site delivered more than forty flint tools during its release, including two polished axes, a fragment of third axe, a blade of type Le Grand-Pressigny and about thirty splinters. These artifacts, dated from the final Neolithic, illustrate the cutting and polishing activity of the stone at that time. The polisher was classified as historical monuments on 23 June 1976, thus recognizing its heritage importance.

Owned by a private company, the polisher is located on the cadastre under the reference A 18. Its state of conservation and its location in the forest make it a rare testimony to the prehistoric artisanal practices in Île-de-France. The tools discovered on site suggest an intensive use of the site for the manufacture of polished stone objects, essential for daily life and exchanges during Neolithic.

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