Les stèles gravées du plateau de la Bretellière à Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges

Abstract : The "plateau de La Bretellière" in Saint-Macaire en Mauges (Maine-et-Loire, France) is an exceptional site where the monumental art of the 5th millennium is located in a preserved area. The engraved stelae have mostly not moved for the past 6000 years and are therefore studyable in their initial context. Zigzags and snake motifs are the two lead signs of the plateau and show affinities with the Iberian Peninsula. Four meters long, one of them is the most imposing broken line megalithic item in Europe. In low-angled light, it is currently visible at 150 meters. Taking advantage of the immutability of the stelae, distances and areas of specific visibility were calculated. The first results are oriented towards the existence of a path along the different figures inscribed on the mineral walls.