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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Pierre Saint-Martin, also known as Pierre du Pas de Saint-Martin, is a fixed polisher dated to Neolithic, located in the commune of Luzillé, in Indre-et-Loire. This megalith in sanded pudding, measuring 2.50 × 2 m at its base for 0.70 m height, has grooves and cups used for polishing flint tools. Neolithic flints, including polished axes, were found nearby, confirming its prehistoric artisanal use. The site also includes a nearby menhir, reflecting a wider local megalithic occupation.

The polisher is associated with an oral legend, "the legend of the sheaves", evoking Saint Martin de Tours or one of his disciples. According to this tradition, the marks on the stone would be the prints of the saint's donkey hoof, explaining his name. Three churches dedicated to Saint Martin nearby could strengthen this link. The stone, threatened with destruction at the beginning of the twentieth century, was saved in 1910 by the Société archéologique de Touraine (SAT), which purchased 60 francs before obtaining its classification as a historical monument in 1952.

Pierre Saint-Martin was first reported to SAT in 1892 by a local teacher. After years of negotiations, the company became the owner and preserved it. Prehistorian Gérard Cordier, a member of the SAT, played a key role in his classification in 1952. The site, still owned by the SAT, had degradations prior to 1950. Its appearance is comparable to other regional polishers, such as those of Brèches or Saint-Eliph.

In 1951, Gérard Cordier inventoria three other fixed polishers in Indre-et-Loire, a number increased to 14 in 2011 by Jean-Claude Marquet. These discoveries highlight the importance of the region in tool-sized neolithic practices. The stone, made of sandstone in its upper part, was ideal for polishing, while its cups could serve as water reserves. Today, it remains a material testimony of prehistoric craft techniques and later local beliefs.

The polisher is located 1.2 km southwest of the centre of Luzillé, in an eponymous place. Its classification in 1952 protects a rare element of the megalithic heritage, mixing neolithic technical heritage and medieval or modern reappropriation through the figure of Saint Martin. The stone thus illustrates the superimposition of historical strata, from prehistoric tools to hagiographic narratives.

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