The Megaliths of Carnac

Tumuli

Tumuli are large man-made mounds often covering one or more passage and/or coffin graves. The stones of the graves are often engraved. The shape of the mounds ranges from circular to long barrows.

The map below shows the location of tumuli in the Carnac/Gulf of Morbihan region.

Map of locations of tumuli

Click on map to see enlargement

St. Michel
St. Michel tumulus with chapel on top
In Carnac
About 125 metres long by 50 m wide by 10 m high barrow
Menhir on top (behind chapel) may have been placed there recently
1 passage grave and several other coffin tombs
Kercado
Kercado tumulus with menhir on summit
2 km northeast of Carnac, about 1 km south of Kerlescan alignments
25 meter diameter circular mound
Menhir on top and surrounded by a stone circle
Simple passage tomb with engraved roof stones (axe)
Remains from grave dated at 4700 BC
Le Moustoir
Le Moustoir tumulus
About 3 km north of Carnac, north of east end of Kermario alignments
100 meters long, 10 meters high
Surmounted by a menhir, another just west of the tumulus
At least 2 passage graves, one with axe carving
Crucuny
Crucuny tumulus
2 km north of Le Ménec
About 25 meters in diameter
Menhir on top over 2 metres tall
Er Grah/Er Vingle
Er Grah tumulus
Aerial view of Er Grah, the Marchand's table and Le Grand Menhir Brisé
Locmariaquer beside La Table de Marchand and Le Grand Menhir Brisé
Partially destroyed, barrow was 170-180 meters long by 15 m (north end) to 25-30 m (south end) by probably 2-2.5 m high
Coffin tomb, roof stone (visible in photo)is a piece of the same engraved stone used to roof the Marchand's Table and Gavr'Inis
The aerial photo, courtesy of JJ Evendon, shows Er Grah tumulus on the left and the Marchand's Table on the right. Below the Marchand's Table is Le Grand Menhir Brisé. The line running from the menhir to the left of the Marchand's Table are stone holes which predate the Marchand's Table. Click on the aerial photo or here to see the full-sized picture.
Many thanks JJ for allowing me to include your photograph.
La Table de Marchand
(Marchand's Table)

Table de Marchand
Table de Marchand
Named after the Marchand family who owned the land; often erroneously called the Merchants' Table
Locmariaquer, beside Er Grah barrow and Le Grand Menhir Brisé
About 25 meters in diameter (restored in late 1980s and early 1990s)
Simple passage dolmen with beautifully engraved back stone and axe and antelope carved on roof stone
Roof stone is a piece of the deliberately broken 14-meter stone also used to roof El Grah and Gavr'Inis
Mané er Hroueg
Entrance to Mane Er Hroueg tumulus
Southern outskirts of Locmariaquer
Barrow 100 meters long by 60 m wide by 8 m high
Very overgrown
Simple passage tomb with axes engraved on stone at entrance
Gavr'Inis (Isle of Goats)
Gavr'Inis tumulus
Gavr'Inis tumulus
Island in Gulf of Morbihan about 4 km east of Locmariaquer; was a hill above a plain when the tumulus was build
Reached by boat from Larmor-Baden
About 50 meters in diameter and 9 meters high
Simple passage grave with longest passage (15 meters) in Brittany
23 of 29 supporting stones are beautifully engraved; roof stone part of same stone used in Er Grah and the Marchand's Table
About 6000 years old
Tumiac (Butte de César)
Tumiac tumulus
Near western end of Rhys Peninsula, about 2 km southeast of Arzon
50 meter diameter, 15 m high
Passage grave, engraved walls
Le Petit Mont
Le Petit Mont tumulus
Southwestern end of Rhys Peninsula, about 2 km southsouthwest of Arzon
60 meter long by 46 m wide by 6-7 m high
Contained at least 3 dolmen; Germany built a concrete bunker in one in Second World War
Southwest dolmen is engraved with axes, circles and serpentines
Le Rocher
Le Rocher tumulus
Entrance to Le Rocher tumulus
About 1 km southwest of Le Bono on east bank of Rivière d'Auray
Dolmen directly across river and another tumulus 1 km southwest also on west side of river
About 25 meter diameter
Passage grave with engravings
Toulvern
toulvern tumulus, entrance to dolmen
toulvern tumulus - second dolmen
About 2 km south of Baden
Two dolmen in the remains of a tumulus
One dolmen has all its capstones; it has a definite bend in the passage
The second dolmen has lost many capstones, especially from the circular chamber

Except the aerial photos of Er Grah/the Marchand's Table/le Grand Menhir Brisé by JJ Evendon, all photographs were taken by myself, during trips to the megaliths of Carnac in 1980, 1983, 1994, 1998, and 2002. All photographs are my property and may not be copied or used without my written permission.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Types of Megaliths
of Carnac

Databank

Links



May 5, 2009
©copyright Vicki Sherwood
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