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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Menhir de Pierrefitte, also known as Pierre Fitte de Saint-Cyr, is a megalithic monument erected during the Neolithic period. Originally located in the municipality of Saint-Cyr in Vienna, it was moved and straightened close to a water leisure base in Beaumont Saint-Cyr. Measuring 4.50 meters in height for a width of 3.50 meters at the base, its weight is estimated at 23 tons by the expert Touzé de Longuemar. An on-site panel indicates the presence of a second menhir, uncertain authenticity, as well as two non-megalithic tumuli.

Ranked as historical monuments by order of 9 August 1932, this menhir illustrates the importance of megalithic constructions in the region. Its displacement reflects contemporary issues of preservation and presentation of heritage, while highlighting local archaeological traces. The neighbouring, though non-megalithic, tumuli bear witness to an ancient and diversified occupation of the territory.

The Vienna region, rich in prehistoric remains, shows through this menhir a tradition of marking the landscape with erect stones. These monuments probably served as landmarks, places of worship or commemoration for neolithic communities. Their study provides a better understanding of the social and religious practices of the time, as well as the spatial organization of sedentary human groups.

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