Quest Of Megaliths: Menhir

Showing posts with label Menhir. Show all posts

Jul 24, 2016

Tumulus d'Er Grah, Table des Marchand, Grand Menhir - Locmariaquer (France)

In Locmariaquer (Morbihan / Brittany) is a huge megalithic site with the Tumulus d'Er Grah, Table des Marchand and the broken Grand Menhir. This area is well restored and organised. At the entrance you can watch an interesting movie about the neolithic age and its megaliths.

Table des Marchand and Grand Menhir with Locmariaquer in the background

Official Website: http://www.site-megalithique-locmariaquer.fr/en/
Geographical coordinates: 47° 34´ N, 2° 57´W

Tumulus and Dolmen d'Er Grah

The Tumulus and Dolmen d'Er Grah (aka Er Vinglé) is one of a few closed single graves of the megalithic age. The Dolmen was built appr. 4200 BC. Its endstone is to be seen on the top of the Tumulus.
The Tumulus has a length of 140m and the width varies from 16m to 26m. It must been one of the hugest in Brittany. The stones are from local granite and orthogneiss was used for the endstone.

Table des Marchand

This sight (aka An Daol Varchant) was built appr. 3900 BC. although the flag stone is older than the Dolmen. This stone with height of 3,20m has engravings on both sides. There are shown 49 crooks.
The capstone has engravings of a plough and the forelegs, breast and parts of the head of a cattle. Its horns seem to be engraved in another part of the capstone in Gavrini. This stone in Locmariaquer is the lowest part of a menhir which middle part belongs to the Dolmen de Gavrini and the upper part is maybe the capstone of the Dolmen d'Er Grah.
During an extensive reconstruction the Tumulus and the double-stage cairn were rebuilt.

Endstone with engraving of 49 crooks

Capstone with the engravings of a plough and parts of a cattle

Grand Menhir brisé

Beside the Table des Marchand four fragments of the Grand Menhir are situated and very well known as the world's biggest menhir. It is more than 20m long with a weight of 280 tons. It consists of orthogneiss which is not to be found on the peninsula of Locmariaquer.
Behind the Grand Menhir another 18 smaller menhirs had been standing in former times. This alignment was built around 4500 BC and was destroyed between 4300 and 4200 BC. There is no hint on reason or initiator.

Apr 10, 2016

Géant de Manio / Quadrilatère de Manio - Carnac (France)

Along the stone rows of Carnac to the east the "Quadrilatère de Manio" and the "Géant de Manio" are to be found.
Both are dated to the neolithical age of about 4.500 B.C. and were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century.

The quadrilateral enclosure of local granite stones have a height of max. 1 meter. The length of the site is about 37 meters, the eastern width is app. 10 meters but western width app. 7 meters. It was supposed to be a surrounding of a flattened tumulus.

"Géant de Manio", the menhir next to the Quadrilatère, has a height of app. 6,5 meters. A legend says: If you throw a pebble onto the top of the menhir AND it remains on it, you have a free wish ...

Quadrilatère de Manio

Menhir Géant de Manio

Stones on top of the Géant

Mar 14, 2016

Tumulus de Kercado - Carnac (France)

As one of Europes oldest megalithic sights the Tumulus of Kercado is situated in the woods of Carnac south of Kermario. It is dated to 4.500 BC.
In former times the Tumulus was surrounded by a Cromlech. Nowadays you can find only a few Menhirs / stones. The Menhir on the top of the Tumulus was set there by its second excavator R. Galles at the beginning of the 20th century.
The hill has a diameter of app. 40 metres. Chamber (3,2m x 2,2m) and corridor consist of 17 stones while there are 5 endstones for the corridor and 1 endstone for the chamber. You will find some carvings in the stones. So it is necessary to take a torch with you.
In the chamber and the corridor some grave goods such as axes, arrowheads and pearls have been found.

Geographic coordinates: 47° 35' 45" N, 3° 3' 14" W