<< Our Photo Pages >> Les Grosses Devises (E) - Standing Stone (Menhir) in France in Normandie:Calvados (14)
Submitted by Rida on Thursday, 10 March 2011 Page Views: 3126
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Les Grosses Devises (E)Country: France Département: Normandie:Calvados (14) Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Caen Nearest Village: Colomby-sur-Thaon
Latitude: 49.256170N Longitude: 0.41959W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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From Rida's Wikipedia article :
En 1912, le Dr Raoul Doranlo, membre de la Société préhistorique française signale pour la première fois une Pierre à légendes sur la commune de Thaon: la Pierre Tourniresse, ainsi que quatre autres pierres à proximité appelées par les paysans: les Grosses Devises. Plusieurs lames de silex taillé, des racloirs et des grattoirs ont été découverts aux alentours. Ces pierres ont bien été identifiées comme des menhirs authentiques.
La Pierre Tourniresse qui, d'après la légende, pivotait sur elle-même, ne se voit plus actuellement. Soit elle est complètement enfouie, soit elle a été déplacé ou enlevée. Par contre deux pierres dressées au milieu des champs cultivés, exactement sur la limite entre les communes de Thaon et de Colomby-sur-Thaon sont facilement reconnaissables. La première de ces Grosses Devises, la plus à l'est, a une forme de colonne incurvée, elle mesure 1,30 m de hauteur, 0,65 m de largeur à la base pour une épaisseur de 0,40 m. La seconde, à 800 m vers le nord-ouest, a une forme de triangle et mesure environ 1,50 m de hauteur avec une largeur maximale de 0,85 m et 0,30 m d'épaisseur. Elles sont en calcaire et comportent toutes les deux de nombreuses cupules. Elles ont situées de part et d'autre de l'ancien chemin des pèlerins qui allait de Cairon à Douvres-la-Délivrande.
Le terme devise vient du latin divisio et signifie: borne en pierre en limite de propriété. Ces pierres sont en effet, exactement placées sur la ligne de limite communale. Dr Doranlo fait remarquer que les monuments mégalithiques de la plaine de Caen affectent le plus souvent des dimensions très réduites. Beaucoup ont été morcelées par les cultivateurs pour en faire des devises, parfois elles ont été enfouies, brisées, renversées ou enlevées.
De nombreuses autres pierres remarquables de taille moyenne sont visibles en bordure de champs, en limite cadastrale.
Les Grosses Devises se trouvent à moins de 3 km exactement entre le menhir de la Demoiselle de Bracqueville et la Pierre Tourneresse à Cairon.
Which Google translates as follows :
In 1912, Dr. Raoul Doranlo, Member of the French Prehistoric Society reported for the first time a stone in the town of legends Thaon: Tourniresse Stone and four other stones nearby called by the peasants: the Grosses Devises. Several flint blades, scrapers and scrapers were found nearby. These stones have been identified as authentic menhirs.
Stone Tourniresse which according to legend, rotated on itself, is invisible now. Either it is completely buried, or it has been moved or removed. On the contrary two standing stones in the middle of cultivated fields, exactly on the boundary between the towns of Thaon and Colomby-sur-Thaon are easily recognizable. The first Grosses Devises, the farther east, has a curved form of a column, it measures 1.30 m high, 0.65 m wide at the base to a thickness of 0.40 m. The second, 800 m north-west, has a triangular shape and is approximately 1.50 m in height with a maximum width of 0.85 m and 0.30 m thick. They are limestone and both include many wells. They are located on both sides of the old road of the pilgrims that went to Dover Cairon la Deliverance.
The term comes from the Latin motto divisio and means boundary stone at the property line. These stones are in fact exactly placed on the municipal boundary line. Dr Doranlo noted that the megalithic monuments of the plain of Caen affect most often very small dimensions. Many were broken up by farmers to make currency, sometimes they were buried, broken, knocked over or removed.
Many other remarkable stones medium size are visible on the edge of fields, cadastral boundaries.
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
756m WNW 302° Les Grosses Devises (W)* Standing Stones
2.8km SW 214° Pierre Tourneresse, Cairon* Chambered Tomb
3.3km NNW 330° Menhir de la Demoiselle de Bracqueville* Standing Stone (Menhir)
3.7km E 94° Mathieu necropole Barrow Cemetery
5.7km NNW 333° Menhir dit Pierre Debout (Reviers)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
5.9km S 185° Rots necropolis Barrow Cemetery
6.4km NW 308° Amblie necropole Barrow Cemetery
7.0km NW 310° Colombiers-sur-Seulles tumulus* Chambered Tomb
7.7km WNW 295° Menhir des Planches* Standing Stone (Menhir)
7.8km NW 305° Menhir des Demoiselles (Colombiers-sur-Seulles)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
7.9km E 100° Les Pierres Branlantes* Chambered Tomb
8.0km NE 36° Luc-sur-Mer menhir* Standing Stone (Menhir)
8.8km ESE 110° Blainville-sur-Orne necropole Barrow Cemetery
8.8km SSE 153° Musée de Normandie* Museum
11.3km S 174° Menhir dit la Pierre Couchée (Louvigny)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
12.3km SSE 161° Fleury-sur-Orne necropolis* Barrow Cemetery
18.1km SSW 200° Nécropole mérovingienne à Évrecy* Ancient Village or Settlement
18.3km SSE 167° La Hogue* Chambered Tomb
18.4km SSE 165° La Hoguette* Chambered Tomb
20.8km W 276° Musée Baron Gerard Museum
22.6km S 170° Pierre Tournante (Fresnay-le-Puceux)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
24.3km SW 226° Pierrelaye menhir* Standing Stone (Menhir)
26.5km SSE 165° Pierre Tourneresse (Gouvix)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
27.9km W 259° Domaine de Castillon* Ancient Village or Settlement
28.2km SSE 155° Bretteville-le-Rabet* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
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