The Dolmen de Kermario at the side of the alignments of Kermario, one of the three major groups of stone rows at the megalithic sites of Carnac, Brittany, France
Some background information:
The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany in in the French department of Morbihan. They consist of stone alignments, dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones). More than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones were hewn from local granite and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany and form the largest such collection in the world. Most of the stones are within the Breton municipality of Carnac, but some to the east are within neighboring La Trinité-sur-Mer. The stones were erected at some stage during the Neolithic period, probably around 3300 BC, but some may date to as early as 4500 BC.
There are three major groups of stone rows – Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan, which altogether are known as the alignments of Carnac. Another much smaller group of stones, the Petit-Ménec alignments, can be found in the neigbouring village of La Trinité-sur-Mer. These four groups may have once formed a single group but have been split up as stones were removed for other purposes. The standing stones are made of weathered granite from local outcroppings that once extensively covered the area.
The Ménec alignments near the village of Le Ménec consist of eleven converging rows of menhirs stretching for 1,165 by 100 metres (3,822 by 328 feet). At either end the remains of stone circles can still be seen. The largest stones, around 4 metres (13 feet) high, are at the wider, western end. The stones then become as small as 0.6 metres (2 feet 0 inches) high along the length of the alignment before growing in height again toward the extreme eastern end.
The Kermario alignments consists of 1029 stones in ten columns, about 1,300 m (4,300 feet) in length. At their eastern end, where the stones are shorter, a stone circle was revealed by aerial photography. The Kerlescan alignments are a smaller group of 555 stones, further to the east of the other two sites. They are composed of 13 lines with a total length of about 800 metres (2,600 feet), ranging in height from 80 cm (2 feet 7 inch) to 4 m (13 feet). At the extreme west, where the stones are tallest, there is another stone circle which has 39 stones.
There are several dolmens scattered around the area, like the one of Kermario in this picture. These dolmens are generally considered to have been tombs. However, the acidic soil of Brittany has eroded away the bones. They were constructed with several large stones supporting a capstone, then buried under a mound of earth. In many cases, the mound is no longer present, sometimes due to archeological excavation, and only the large stones remain, in various states of ruin.
At the end of the 18th century, the alignments of Carnac were attributed to druidic gatherings. But just a few years later, it was claimed that they represent stars in the sky. A later theory from 1887 argued for a connection between the rows of stones and the directions of sunsets at the solstices. More recent studies assume an astronomical purpose or support the concept of a geometric megalithic yard. However, the most modern theory suggests that the stone rows belonged to some kind of defensive structure against preternatural menaces originating from the nearby sea. Anyway, a generally valid theory regarding the purpose of the alignments has not been agreed on yet.
Since 1996, the alignments of Carnac – or to be more precise – the Ménec alignments are part of the UNESCO tenative list, a list of worldwide architectural and cultural heritage sites, which are considered to become UNESCO world heritage sites sometime. If you plan a visit there, please be aware that Carnac can be overcrowded by tourists at certain hours of the day. There are also several touristic offers of clever tradespeople that cost money. However, you can still eplore the alignments on your own, although it’s no longer possible to stroll around between the stone rows as they are protected from regardless visitors by having been fenced in for quite some time.