Pierre procureuse, Neolithic dolmen in Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière, France

Pierre Procureuse is a dolmen in the forest south of Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière, in the far south of the Orne department. It has three orthostats; one has fallen, tilting the 5 m long, 3 m wide and 0.5 m thick capstone, which rests on one support and on the ground. Moss and lichen cover the pitted grey stones, and a dark hollow opens beneath the capstone.

The burial monument was built during the Neolithic period and was officially protected as a historical site in 1930. Over thousands of years, it served as a resting place for people of this ancient era.

The monument reflects how Neolithic communities buried their dead and the role shared burial grounds played in their social lives. The way it was constructed reveals the knowledge and organizational skills of these early inhabitants of Normandy.

The dolmen stands in woodland south of Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière, at the southern edge of the Orne department; the sources describe no panels or marked paths, so expect an unmarked forest setting. The capstone now rests partly on one support and partly on the ground, so the hollow beneath is low and partly blocked. Approach on foot through the wood and watch for moss-covered stones underfoot.

Local legend says the stone rises at midnight on Christmas and reveals a treasure, then falls on anyone who enters. The tale is common to megaliths in the region and is tied to this dolmen in Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière.