Alignement du Narbon
MonumentHidden Treasure
Alignement du Narbon, located in Erdeven (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Erdeven, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6284, -3.1652
- Mérimée Reference
- PA56000117
Narbon megalithic alignment at Erdeven: a procession of Neolithic menhirs standing on the Breton moors, silent witnesses to a 6,000-year-old civilisation, listed as a Historic Monument in 2023.
History
In the heart of the Auray region, between wild moors and coastal dunes, the Narbon line of granite menhirs unfolds in a silence steeped in history. Less publicised than its famous neighbours in Carnac, this megalithic site in Erdeven is no less striking: the standing stones, some several metres high, are organised according to a logic that archaeologists are still trying to decipher, between astronomical orientation and ritual demarcation of the territory. What makes the Narbon alignment truly singular is its preserved character and relative discretion. Where other Breton megalithic sites are saturated with visitors, Narbon offers an almost intimate experience: the walker finds himself alone in front of the stones, free to walk the rows at his own pace, to observe the lichens that have colonised the granite for thousands of years, to feel the wind from the Atlantic sweep across the open moorland. The menhirs, slightly tilted by time, seem to converse with each other in a forgotten language. The visit takes place in the open air, in an exceptional natural setting typical of inland Morbihan. The immediate surroundings, dotted with broom and heather, are a reminder that this landscape has changed little since the Neolithic period: nature has reclaimed its rights around the stones, integrating them into a plant setting of great photographic beauty, particularly in the golden hours of the morning or late afternoon. Situated near the great Carnac alignments and the Erdeven megalithic complex - one of the largest in Europe - the Narbon alignment is part of a micro-region that is exceptionally dense in prehistoric monuments. This setting invites you to immerse yourself in the Armorican Neolithic, ideal for prehistory enthusiasts, curious families and travellers in search of authenticity away from the crowds.
Architecture
The Narbon alignment belongs to the category of menhir alignments, a monumental form characteristic of Armorican Neolithic culture. Menhirs - a Breton term literally meaning "long stone" - are blocks of local granite quarried from open-cast outcrops, then transported and erected vertically over several hundred metres. Their arrangement in parallel rows, oriented along a general west-east axis with slight variations, is common to the large megalithic complexes in Morbihan and could correspond to the observation of sunrises and sunsets at the solstices. The menhirs vary in size, a typical feature of these Neolithic sites: the most imposing can exceed 2 to 3 metres in height above ground level, while others, more modest or partially sunk into the earth, are no more than 1 metre high. They are irregular in cross-section, the Neolithic builders having exploited the natural shape of the granite blocks rather than cutting them systematically. Some faces are slightly regularised, particularly at the base, which is buried in the ground to ensure stability. The characteristic bluish-grey Armorican granite used develops a patina over time, with crusts of orange, grey and green lichens giving the stones a subtle polychromy and a lively texture. The site is set in a sandy, peaty substrate typical of the coastal moors of Morbihan, a terrain that has helped to preserve the stones by limiting their tilting over the centuries.
Related Figures
Populations néolithiques armoricaines (4500-3000 av. J.-C.) — bâtisseurs anonymes de l'alignementProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, pionnier de la protection des mégalithes bretons au XIXe siècleJames Miln — archéologue écossais ayant conduit les premières fouilles scientifiques des sites mégalithiques carnacéens au XIXe siècleZacharie Le Rouzic — archéologue breton (1864-1939), figure majeure de l'étude des mégalithes du MorbihanSerge Cassen — préhistorien contemporain, spécialiste des monuments néolithiques armoricains (CNRS/Université de Nantes)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Alignement du Narbon located?
Alignement du Narbon is located in Erdeven, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Alignement du Narbon open to visitors?
Alignement du Narbon is currently closed to visitors.