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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 8, 2010 13:48:04 GMT
This post is not just going to be about megaliths in Brittany. I'm also going to intertwine it with a personal story about my good friend, Jean-Jacques Rivard. But let's start with a definition first about just what is a megalith. While the basic definition is a large dry stone construction, my interest lies specifically in European megaliths dating to the neolithic period (about 4,500B.C. To 1,500B.C.) There are 2 basic types (with a number of sub-categories) called menhirs and dolmens. A dolmen is a funerary monument consisting of vertical slabs (walls) and topped with other horizontal slabs of stone (roof/ceiling). Inside there could be anywhere from one to a number of burials. A menhir is a standing stone. There is no widely accepted archaeological opinion as to precisely what purpose this feature served, although there are a number of theories. Brittany has the highest concentration of megalithic features in the world. If you have a Michelin map you will note in your map legend that they have assigned a symbol to megalithic sites. My wife Veronique and I are certified “megalith hunters”.Whenever we travel in France if we happen to be in the vicinity of a megalith we usually try to hunt it down. Let's look at a few photos now so you can see what I'm talking about.  Above are 2 menhirs.  Above is a dolmen.  And another dolmen.  While some stones appear to be roughly quarried with little post quarrying modification, others, such as this one, appear to have been worked and shaped. Not only was there a reason for shaping stones but certain types of stones were selected either for aesthetic or symbolic purposes. We also know that location was extremely important. Stones used to construct megaliths occasionally came from several kilometers away, even when there were other available stone sources nearby. Such enormous stones would not have been hauled such great distances to end up being placed randomly. Below is a great example of a dolmen whose stone source came from several kilometers away and is located in a relatively featureless terrain. It is known as La Roche Aux Fees (The Fairies Stone) and was built around 3,000B.C. Additionally, the entrance and interior corridor of this dolmen are in alignment with the winter solstice sunrise. This is not the only megalith that has an alignment of astronomical significance. The scientific field correlating ancient constructions and astronomical features or events is called archaeoastronomy.  The old gentleman in the picture is my friend Jean-Jacques (we'll just call him JJ from now on) whom I mentioned earlier. As you can see by how JJ is dwarfed by this dolmen, La Roche Aux Fees is enormous. There is now a small visitor center and museum next to the dolmen should you ever be interested in a visit. I'm going to digress a little now and bring a bit of a personal story into this post, as I had said that I would. JJ is an absolute pioneer in the field of archaeoastronomy. Back in the late 60's and early 70's JJ was living with a tribe of Maya in central America. He was the first person to ascribe a theory to the “shadow and serpent” effect that occurs on the spring equinox at The Temple of Kukulcan in the central American temple complex of Chichen-Itza. While JJ was living with the Maya he also wrote a dictionary translating Maya into Spanish. JJ speaks about 6 or 7 languages and is an accomplished artist. He was part of a team of artists who worked with the astronauts on the first Apollo mission to the moon. Their job was to take the blueprints for the lunar rover and make conceptual drawings. JJ has also done conceptual drawings for the auto-maker Ferrari and was part of a team once hired by the Italian government to come up with a plan for straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The plan was so good the government fired them, I mean, who wants to visit a leaning tower that doesn't lean?! JJ doesn't have much money so a bunch of us took up a collection for his air-fare and at the tender young age of 89 years, JJ was off with me and Veronique (my wife) to go see France for 2 weeks. |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 8, 2010 13:50:48 GMT
Okay, I know, I know, this post is supposed to be about megaliths so let's get back to the subject. Let's see some more pretty pictures now.  This is a cromlech, which is essentially a bunch of menhirs forming a circle. They are fairly rare in France and are more frequently found in The British Isles. Below are some photos of dolmens that I just found at random using the Michelin map as my guide.     I had mentioned in another post how sometimes a sacred site can be used by multiple cultures (think of the Dome of The Rock in Jerusalem). I also mentioned how the earliest christian churches were often built on top of previously utilized pagan sacred space. In Brittany there are about 1,500 natural water springs. All of them have a name associated with a saint or christianity. Every one of them also had a pagan name prior to their christianization. As seen in the christian rite of baptism, water is an essential part of sacred ceremonies. I have also noted in my study of megaliths here in France that many of them seem to be located near rivers, springs and streams. Interesting how this concept seems to cross cultures and time. Undoubtedly, many megaliths were probably torn down by christians throughout the centuries, or at least, there was an attempt to christianize them. The below photo is a good example of this. If you look just to the left of the dolmen in this photo and just behind it, you will notice a small mound of earth with a stone column topped with a cross. The cross is now raised up higher than the height of the dolmen. I guess this would make it closer to heaven than the pagan monument next to which it sat.   Here we have what is called a tumulus or cairn, which is essentially a dolmen covered with earth. Some dolmens used to be covered with earth and all we see now are the stones that remain. There is discussion among archaeologists as to how frequently dolmens might have been earth covered. Some say many were and others say most weren't. Who knows? Notice the menhir on top of the tumulus, not commonly seen. |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 8, 2010 13:52:46 GMT
 Here we have another tumulus with a double entrance. This one was only available for visit with a guide, who was present on site at various times during the week. An interesting feature here is that that the entrance on the right was the burial chamber. The entrance on the left had no burials but did have ceremonial goods. The left entrance way and interior corridor were also in alignment with the winter solstice sunrise. Below is a dolmen known as The Dolmen de la Joseliere.  And another photo of the same dolmen below.  Another thing to notice that I find very interesting is the large white stone to the right of the entrance to the dolmen. This stone is a piece of quartz. At Native American sacred sites one of the defining features are piles of stone and sometimes there is a piece of white quartz in the center of the pile. Again we see different cultures finding shared belief in the sanctity of a certain feature. In reading about the megalithic history of this particular area in Brittany I discovered that white quartz was frequently utilized in the construction of dolmens in this specific area. It was, however, only found at or near the entrance to the interior corridor but never inside the interior chamber. Below is a restored tumulus known as The Tumulus des Mousseaux.  Once again, if you look to the left you will notice a large chunk of white quartz that was used in the construction of the corridor wall and is located just inside the entrance to the interior chamber.  Here's a look at JJ inside a dolmen.  Here's another look inside a dolmen.  In the above photo you will notice me bent over to enter the dolmen. A feature of many dolmens is that the entry way is usually smaller than the interior of the chamber and requires some form of bending over, or perhaps humbling of yourself before entering a sacred space. There may also be some sort of birth canal reference here in that a small opening leads into a different world, in this case the world of the dead. |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 8, 2010 13:54:09 GMT
In the photo below is a great example of prehistoric art that is sometimes found inside dolmens. What these designs and patterns means are anyone's guess. There are some motifs that have been found repeatedly and there are some well formed ideas as to what they represent but with other types of engraving the meaning eludes us. Maybe they're just pretty designs. Any guesses?  In the photo below we see JJ posing in front of the Menhir du Champ Dolent, the tallest standing menhir in France (I think).  Here's me and JJ at Carnac, France's best known megalithic site. There are a few thousand menhirs in a series of alignments that stretch over a distance of about 4 kilometers at this site. Certainly one of the worlds most unique megalithic sites. During WWII when the American troops were approaching the coast near here they mistakenly believed that all the stones they saw in the distance were actually some sort of German defensive barrier.    Below is a photo of the Grand Menhir at Locmariaquer, which now lies on the ground. If standing it would be the worlds tallest menhir. What is interesting about this menhir is that it appears that after the menhir was erected it was intentionally knocked over. Further, you will notice how it is in three pieces. These breaks in the stone show signs of having been intentionally made so that the menhir would break when it was toppled. I like to imagine there is one of the architects lying underneath the stone whose last words were “Hold it right there, that's perfect.”  |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 8, 2010 13:55:15 GMT
Below is a photo of my favorite (and relatively unheard of) megalithic feature in all of France. It is called The Great Cairn of Barnenez, and boy is it great. This cairn is 72 meters long, 27 meters wide and 9 meters high. It has three distinct pyramid like “steps” in its construction and houses 11 burial chambers. It was built in a few stages starting around 4,500B.C. and predates the pyramids at Giza by about 1,500 years. I don't know what qualifies as a pyramid but this thing has size, shape and the fact that it was used as a tomb. It is most likely the worlds oldest pyramid-like structure.  Here's a view from the other side.  In the above photo you might notice what appears to be a large hole in the right side of the cairn. This is due to modern damage. Up until the 1950's local people were using this thing as a source for raw stone building supply. One day while a crane was busy ripping into the cairn some bright archaeologist came along and said that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. How about a pretty menhir picture because it's a sunset photo?  Everyone likes a sunset photo, right?  And finally, what photo journal post could be considered complete without a picture of an old man sticking his head in the bunny hole.  |
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Post by lola on May 8, 2010 14:10:55 GMT
Wonderful, fmt. Thanks so much for these. Aren't they magical?
We sought and finally found a dolmen between La Roche-Posay and Preuilly-sur-Claise, in Poitou-Charentes, based on the little logo in Michelin road atlas, driving at one point up what turned out to be a suspicious householder's driveway. The huge stones were on top of a high hill, obviously placed there at great effort.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2010 14:50:30 GMT
Wow, this is just great. And The Great Cairn of Barnenez, is such an interesting structure. The sunset, I don't think I've ever see one so beautiful. It must be like stepping into another era. Thanks for this.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 8, 2010 15:29:37 GMT
I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this thread, and how much I've pored over it before writing these inadequate words. So much to see -- I want to fall into the pictures and touch those stones.
One thing that is so marvelous about them is that they are just there. Beyond scholarship and speculation, the massive weight and magical placement seems to await with endless patience our instinctive understanding.
I know nothing about these stones and structures, even though I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid looking at National Geographics. The Great Cairn is a revelation! Have you been inside? Impressive as it is, the ones that really speak to me are the smaller, humbler ones that are semi-sunk into the ground. Fanciful, I know, but they still seem blessed by the builders' presence.
Well, enough of my babbling -- I want to go look at the thread again!
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2010 20:40:39 GMT
I have really only been to Carnac to see the alignments, but they were magnificent. Really, what were those people up to?
Your presentation is sensational.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 9, 2010 0:50:07 GMT
Thanks everyone! As you might have guessed by my recent Stone Wall post I am a man who loves his stones. Combine that with an interest in archaeology, cosmology, archaeoastronomy and comparative mythology and you get a megalith lover. Bixa, it used to be possible to go into The Great Cairn but not anymore for safety reasons. Kerouac, you flatter me. I have to say the same about your presentation. For that matter, you are all excellent writers with a better grasp of vocabulary and writing flair than I possess. If it wasn't for my wife's editing this post wouldn't be half as good. Also kerouac, your photos are unbelievable. Are you a professional photographer and/or are you using a high quality camera? Those images of Rue Oberkampf and the kites were spectacular. Incredibly vibrant. If anyone wants to know more about some of the theories surrounding the megaliths and Carnac, here is a link to an article written by a colleague from the organization where I served as Research Director for the last 4+- years. www.neara.org/ROS/roscarnac01.htm |
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Post by fumobici on May 9, 2010 15:55:30 GMT
Wow what a wonderful thread. Thanks for sharing this.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2010 16:55:08 GMT
FrenchMystique, I just use a basic camera that any ordinary joe can buy at FNAC (or anywhere else). I paid 299€ for my basic Lumix. My profession requires me to crunch numbers, not images.
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Post by imec on May 9, 2010 18:10:24 GMT
Wow! Isn't this cool!?!? Had no idea such wonders were to be found in Brittany. Thanks fmt!
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Post by spindrift on May 9, 2010 19:55:40 GMT
FrenchMystique, thank you very much for this thread. You have fired my imagination and curiosity. I had no idea that there are so many menhirs around and about. Thanks to you, I now understand what a dolmen is and how they can be recognised. I'm thinking that over the centuries so many dolmens may have been ploughed into the earth by farmers not giving them a second thought.
I, too, am fascinated by archeoastronomy. Deep in my memory I think I remember some meaningful stonework in Co. Clare/Aran Islands in southern Ireland....
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 9, 2010 21:33:56 GMT
Imec, these things are found in many places throughout the world. They are scattered throughout France but certain regions have higher concentrations of them than others and some regions have few at all. The Michelin maps have an icon for megaliths so the next time you come here just check your map to see if there are any near you.
Spindrift, when I come to England (someday) I plan on doing some megalith hunting as I know you have some of these wonderful features in your country as well as throughout The British Isles. Undoubtedly some of them have astronomical significance. I'm not sure that these things could have been plowed under but I'm sure many were simply torn down by farmers who found them a nuisance. Plus, they had the added benefit of being suitable building material as well.
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Post by spindrift on May 9, 2010 21:43:46 GMT
I used to live on a farm. I know that in the farm opposite mine there are ancient burial mounds. Perhaps they are/were dolmens. They're in Hampshire.
On my land there is an Iron Age fort. It is the only one left in Hampshire that has not been uncovered/explored. Next to it is a Victorian rubbish pit. As the owner of the land I was told by the County Council that I could not dig in it or try to uncover anything.
Not far away, down the hill, I found a spring. I imagine this spring used to provide water for the inhabitants of the fort.
It's intriguing.
I ought to add that I heard farmers saying that these mounds were a nuisance and best not reported to the council.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 9, 2010 23:39:19 GMT
Wow spindrift, you are lucky to be in such close proximity to such wonderful pieces of history. I belonged to 2 archaeological organizations back in the states (and will again here once my French language skills have improved) and it's nice to know that you haven't disturbed the remains of the Iron Age Fort, and even the Victorian era rubbish pit. Old trash is like gold to archaeologists, since that's usually what they are digging up anyway. In the U.S, at least where I lived in Massachusetts, you can dig up whatever is on your land if you want. I don't know if you found it annoying to be told what to do with your land but I see the point in trying to preserve the past.
In the U.S. farmers used to plow under all kinds of Native ceremonial artifacts (burial mounds, stone piles etc.) because they too found them to be a nuisance.
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Post by hwinpp on May 10, 2010 2:57:42 GMT
I've only been to Carnac but those structures were quite impressive. Thanks for the pics!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2010 3:05:25 GMT
So strange ~~ I was outside talking to my landlord a little while ago and he told me an amazing story. Then I come in and click on this thread and his story fits right in with Fmt's last post.
Many of you know that I live on the flanks of Monte Albán and in the time I've lived in this area have found tons of pre-columbian shards, along with a few more impressive bits. I know some people around here who dug up an entire cache of objects in their back yard.
Anyway, my landlord's story .......
I live on a very large piece of land which the landlord acquired at least twenty years ago. He said when they were excavating for the house on the opposite side of the property from mine, they dug up several skeletons. He thinks they were all buried standing because they found the skulls first and the other bones below that. I asked if he called anyone or reported it or anything and he laughed. He said that gathered all of them and re-buried them then went on with building the house.
His telling me this came about because I asked him about a small artificial-appearing hill at the end of our road where it meets the highway. It's behind the small supermarket and a row of apartments. I wanted to know if it was a pile of dirt left from excavating to build the apartments. He said, not at all, that it was a protected area, probably a tomb of some sort.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2010 5:26:47 GMT
In France (and probably most of Europe), a lot of builders hide or destroy anything that they stumble upon, because you are supposed to report anything to the archeological authorities, who then have 2 or more years to examine the site -- freezing the construction project.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 10, 2010 12:25:01 GMT
It is exactly the same in the U.S. I've been involved with sites where developers have done just that.
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Post by Jazz on May 14, 2010 18:00:48 GMT
Excellent. I've read it several times and am trying to imagine the lure of seeing the actual stones in each of their incarnations. They are beautiful and awe inspiring. Jean-Jacques sounds like the perfect man for you to have met in your quest.
You said, 'a feature of many of the dolmens is that the entryway is usually much smaller than the interior of the chamber'. Were you able to stand upright inside the chamber? I am thinking of the average heighth of men at that time. When I was in Turkey, we visited the 'underground cities' where they fled for safety from enemy attack. As we descended, we had to stoop lower and lower, simply because people then were much shorter. It became quite claustrophobic and one of our group panicked and had to be escorted to the surface.
The use of the white quartz stone is curious. Perhaps because it is white and relatively rare, it was thought of as embodying 'light' to guide you into this revered place and the afterlife? Carnac, with its few thousand menhirs is overwhelming. Do you know why there are so many? Maybe it was the site of an ancient, catastrophic battle. The construction of the Great Cairn of Barnenez is impressive and a tribute to man's enduring ingenuity and creativity. It's amazing to think that it predates the Egyptian pyramids at Giza by 1500 years. You mention the cave artwork, but not findings such as mummies, bones, treasured artifacts etc. Are these chambers empty?
A great read and wonderful photos, FrenchMystique, thank you.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 14, 2010 23:37:53 GMT
Hi Jazz,
I had actually written a lot more about Jean-Jacques in an original draft of this post but edited it out because I thought maybe the report would be too long and stray from the topic of megaliths. He is a unique person. There is something about our personalities that just clicks with each other, despite our age differences. He likes me alot and a like him alot too. We both miss each other so I make sure to call him every few weeks and we'll spend at least an hour talking to each other. He's quite an interesting man.
Yes, the stones are indeed awe inspiring. They do speak if one has the ears and imagination to listen. They were placed where they are very intentionally and I notice similarities in their placement in relation to certain landscape features that correspond to the location of Native American ceremonial stone sites where I come from in New England. I'm pretty sure it's a worldwide pattern wherever sacred sites are located.
It is possible to stand inside some of the dolmens and others it is not. They were never meant to be places of refuge or shelter. As I said in my post, I think there is some sort of a metaphor in the lower entry vs. the increased height in the rear of the interior chamber. Everything we know about these sites is theory and speculation and little can be proved scientifically aside from the types of artifacts that have been recovered from them. And who knows how much else was looted throughout the ages before modern science ever investigated them.
That's a good guess you have about the use of the quartz and probably as good a theory as anyone else has come up with. That's more or less what I think too. Quartz is visually and characteristically different from most other types of stone. It was a common tool material for the indians as well as an object of ceremonial reverence. It is common to find a piece of white quartz in indian stone piles in the northeast U.S. and probably in other parts of the country too, where it was available.
So many theories about Carnac and we just don't know. Your theory has been proposed by others. If you look after kerouacs first comment, I posted a link to an article a colleague of mine wrote about Carnac. She was essentially translating into English the work of a French scientist and adding a few thoughts of her own. There was artwork inside The Great Cairn and there is a small museum and visitor center next to it that displays some artwork and some of the artifacts. Again, I imagine much must have been looted over the ages but they must have recovered some sort of human remains because it is reported that each of those 11 chambers were essentially tombs. The chambers are empty now and visits inside them are no longer allowed. I attended a lecture once given by an expert who had studied the Giza pyramids. After he was done I asked him if he had ever heard of The Great Cairn and he said he hadn't. I told him about it's dimensions, construction features and the fact that it was used as a tomb and asked him if it shouldn't be considered the worlds oldest pyramid. He scratched his chin and thought for a second and said, yeah, maybe it is.
Thanks again for the nice compliments Jazz.
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Post by Sindistone on May 23, 2010 5:43:44 GMT
What a marvelous site ! I stumbled upon it quite by accident, and have truly enjoyed the read. I will be in France this summer, and will make it a point to personally visit some of these magnificent sites. Thank you for the inspiration !
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on May 23, 2010 15:12:08 GMT
Hi Sindistone,
Glad you enjoyed my trip report. If you need any help planning your trip (where to go, what to see, how to find megaliths) just send me a message and I'll be happy to give you some tips. I love Brittany.
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Cattie Ness
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Post by Cattie Ness on Oct 8, 2012 4:27:33 GMT
Greetings from California. I am planning to visit Carnac in March, after a week in Paris, to photograph a bit. I was there in April this year, and I am trying to find out about walking among the stones at Le Menec, etc near Carnac. I understand that during the low season we should be able to walk among them.
If not here, where would we be able to walk among them? It was very painful to look at them behind the fence.
Thank you...been enjoying and sharing your information and photos with my fellow traveler.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 2, 2012 11:42:14 GMT
Hi Cattie. I didn't notice you had posted on this thread but if you want to send me a private message or continue posting on this thread I'll see if I can help you with your questions about Carnac etc.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2013 23:30:19 GMT
I keep planning a trip to Brittany which never seems to happen, but I swear that I will finally make it to Carnac before the end of the year.
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