Alignments of Carnac

The alignments of Carnac are located on the commune of Carnac in the Département of Morbihan in Brittany. It is about an exceptional site of alignments megalithic made up of alignments of Menhir S, Dolmen S and walks shady and distributed on more than four kilometers. Alignments of Carnac are the most famous whole megalithic and most impressive of this period with nearly 4.000 raised stones.

Since 1991, the site is closed with the public in summer and free of access in winter in order to preserve and to preserve the site. Indeed, the free access caused especially in summer period of many degradations of the menhirs (falls) and the moor.

Discovered

Many are the legends which try to explain alignments, because for a long time the origin of these structures was unknown. The majority of the legends bind the fertility and the menhirs because it perpetuates the memory of crowned worships.

The legend of saint-Cornély tells the mishap of the Roman soldiers petrified and transformed into menhirs. It is only starting from 1750 that one is interested in alignments of Carnac and that the first assumptions are put forth. The count of Caylus in 1764 thinks that the megaliths go back to before the time from Gallic and of the Romans. F. of Pommereul in 1790 puts forth the assumption of a Celtic origin which goes during many years envaser the archaeological reflections on the megaliths.

Publications around Carnac inspired by many famous men at that time:

the Knight of Fréminville and its Antiquities of Morbihan in 1829,
Prosper Mérimée and his Notes of voyage of young inspector of the Historic buildings in 1835,
Gustave Flaubert and Maxime of the Camp in 1847,
lithographies of Jorand in 1823, published by Bottin in 1831,
the first layout plan of the monuments of the area raised by Murray Vicars in 1832.

But, at the beginning of the 20th century, James Miln and Zacharie Rouzic, at the origin of the museum of the prehistory of Carnac, following the excavations of the site, introduce the new interpretations based on the Archéologie. They try to check the origins of these practices related to the worships, i.e. with the veneration of somebody or quelquechose.

During the Occupation archeology Nazi is interested in alignments of Carnac seeing a sign there of the “indo-germanisation” of the area by external populations come from North by the sea. A mission is sent in autumn 1940 and realizes with the assistance of the Luftwaffe of the land surveys of the sector. This research is directly chapeautées by Alfred Rosenberg one of the ideologists of the Nazi party. Following these studies the tumulus associated with the menhirs of Kerlescan is excavated between 1941 and 1942. The course of the war stops then research.

Historical context

Alignments were set up with the Neolithic by communities sedentarized between the thousand-year-old Ve front J. - C. and the thousand-year-old IIe front J. - C.. These tribes were installed in large houses out of wooden and clay practitioner the breeding and the Agriculture. The sedentarisation led them to create a worship of dead by building immense collective tombs, giant steles, dolmens and files of menhirs. The men could operate the heavy stones thanks to logs and cords. Many experiments showed that with few men the handling of heavy stones were feasible. The large menhir of Locmariaquer heavy of 300 tons and made up of 20 meters granite is a perfect example of stone transport and lifting.

Composition of alignments

The site is cut out in several whole of menhirs. In each alignment, the menhirs are placed by decreasing order and each series forms a precise angle with the preceding one. On average, the stones weigh between 1 and 2 tons but much are definitely heavier. Each alignment finishes on a more or less visible megalithic enclosure.

One notes a certain organization between the size of the blocks and the nature of the ground. Indeed, the slope of the ground and the fracturing of the subjacent Granite influenced this organization. The interruptions in alignments are due to deteriorations during the centuries, in particular for the construction of the close buildings to alignments.

Of west in is, one finds:

the alignment of Ménec and Toul-chigan.
the alignment of Kermario and Manio.
the alignment of Kerlescan and small Ménec which is on the commune of the Trinité-sur-Mer.

The House of the megaliths , to Ménec, presents to the public the stakes restoration of the monument and makes it possible to discover the site in all its width.

Alignments of Menec

These alignments constitute the most representative whole of menhirs: 1165 meters length on 100 meters broad for 1099 menhirs distributed out of 11 files. The highest stones which compose reach 4 meters. Alignments of Ménec start in south-west with one Cromlech including/understanding 71 more blocks survivors thus some thread between the buildings of village of Ménec. A very ruined cromlech still exists in the East.

The alignment of Kermario and Manio

This alignment more is known and more attended alignments of Carnac. Indeed, it is here that one finds the largest menhirs. It counts 10 lines representing a total of 982 menhirs. The road forms a turning which probably corresponds to the megalithic enclosure.

This alignment is marked by the existence of the mill of Kermaux which offers a point of view on alignments. Lastly, the pond of Kerloquet dug at the 19th century destroyed part of alignments. It separates into two alignment with Kermario on a side and Manio from the other.

Not far from this alignment the quadrilateral of Manio is which consists of several blocks of granite of 1 meter height placed jointivement. They delimited a tumulary hillock. One finds also the Géant of Manio which is drawn up with a 6 meters height.

The alignment of Kerlescan and small Ménec

This alignment contains 540 menhirs distributed out of 13 lines and 3,50 hectares of surface. At its end, is a Cromlech of 39 menhirs. It is alignment best preserved.

The alignment of Kerlescan is prolonged with Small Ménec now restored in a wood located beyond the road carrying out with the Trinity on Sea.

Safeguarding of the site

In summer season, the site is closed with the public in order to prevent the risks of human degradations. This protection makes it possible to avoid the washings away of the menhirs (blocked in pits of chock of small stones on forty centimetres since the level of the ground) and allows the restoration of the vegetation. The installation of netting all around alignments made it possible to restore the vegetation and to make disappear the traces from trampling of the visitors.

Mouton S play their part of desherbor by ensuring an ecological maintenance of the site and with pushes back plant species. However, the site is free access in winter because of the dry climate and the number limited visitors.

Menhirland

In 1991 emerged the project to build a retail park around the site of Carnac, via work which prévoyaint to deviate a road and to destroy dwellings. However this idea of economic exploitation of the historic site knew a strong opposition on behalf of the residents. Finally the project was officially given up by Jean-Jacques Aillagon, then Ministre for the Culture, in 2003.

Free menhirs

Free menhirs is an association being opposed to the project of Menhirland with Carnac. Association brings together associative individuals and networks being opposed so that alignments of Carnac are the pretext of an commercial exploitation and tourist of the site. Founded in 1993 by Yannig Baron and Guy Mary free Menhirs association is dealt with by Skoazell Vreizh.
Association publishes a bulletin ( the Free Menhir ) where in number 19, gone back to October 2000, one could read, inter alia, the testimony of Jean NR., an inhabitant of Carnac, challenged on letter of request of the judge Gilbert Thiel of the antiterrorist parquet floor of Paris. This association joined the call of CARB and required in 2003 the immediate liberation of the six Breton Political prisoner, denouncing a “justice of exception”.

The office of free Menhirs is composed of Eugene Riguidel (vice-president), of Christian Obeltz (vice-president), of Yannick Baron (vice-president), of Martine Chadaigne (trésorière) and of Catherine Pasco (assistant trésorière).

Other monuments around Carnac

Close relations of Carnac, from many other monuments of this period are characterized by a different topography, geography or geology:

dolmens of Basket-Kérioned,
dolmens of Kermario,
dolmens of Cruz-moquen,
dolmens of Kériaval,
dolmens of Kerlescan,
dolmens of Kercado,
hillocks of Manio,
hillocks of Moustoir,
the Tumulus de Saint-Michel.

All these sites had a use strictly funerary.

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