Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré
MonumentHidden Treasure
Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré, located in Carentoir (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Carentoir, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.7795, -2.1992
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091073
In the heart of megalithic Morbihan, the Sigré burial site reveals a Neolithic covered walkway with pillars still standing, the silent guardian of a funerary ritual dating back five millennia.
History
Nestling in the inland Morbihan region of Carentoir, the Sigré megalithic burial site is one of a galaxy of funerary monuments that Brittany has given to humanity with unrivalled generosity. Far from the fame of the Carnac alignments or the Grand Menhir at Locmariaquer, this corridor dolmen - commonly known as a covered walkway - nevertheless imposes a presence of rare dignity in the Breton bocage. Its orthostats, still standing, bear witness to construction skills that have defied the test of time for over five thousand years. What sets Sigré apart from the region's megalithic heritage is the relative integrity of some of its structural elements. Four pillars of the main chamber still stand, framing what was once a sacred space dedicated to the community's dead. The terminal cell, meanwhile, is remarkably well preserved, offering attentive visitors an almost intact glimpse of Neolithic funerary architecture. A few upright slabs still mark the boundaries of the mound on the south-western side, evoking the original silhouette of a monument which, at its height, was to impose its mass on the landscape. The experience of visiting the site is one of almost melancholy contemplation. You wander around the stones, trying to mentally reconstitute the chamber in its original state, imagining the funeral processions, the deposits of offerings and the rites practised by populations that have left no written testimony. The undecided shape of the mound, which has not been deeply disturbed, retains some of its mystery intact - what the archaeologists have not yet unearthed remains buried, a promise of future revelations. Carentoir's bocage setting, with its dense hedgerows, sunken lanes and gentle moorland landscapes, reinforces the timeless atmosphere of the site. Just a few kilometres from the edge of the forest of Paimpont - the ancient Brocéliande - the Sigré burial site seems to belong to a world where the boundary between the visible and the invisible remains porous. Fans of prehistoric archaeology, hiking and Breton heritage will find it a memorable stop-off, far from the tourist crowds.
Architecture
The Sigré burial site belongs to the category of covered walkways, an architectural form characteristic of the Final Neolithic in north-western France. Its elongated plan, oriented along an approximate north-west/south-east axis - a common configuration in this type of monument - forms a funerary corridor framed by vertical slabs (orthostates) which originally supported horizontal cover slabs (tables), forming an enclosed chamber. Four pillars from the main chamber remain standing, making it possible to partially reconstruct the width and height of the interior space, probably between 1.20 and 1.80 metres high under the lintel, typical dimensions for this type of structure in the region. The most remarkable feature of the monument is its terminal cell, located at the north-western end of the chamber, which is still well preserved. This small, separate room, enclosed by a stone partition, is a recurring feature of Armorican covered walkways: it could have housed specific burial deposits or represented a symbolic division between sacred spaces of different status. The arrangement of certain slabs transverse to the main axis of the monument also suggests an internal compartmentalisation of the chamber, as well as a side entrance near the south-eastern end - a configuration which, if confirmed by excavation, would classify Sigré as a complex-plan covered passageway. The mound that enveloped the architectural complex, of indeterminate shape, is partly marked by three upright slabs that demarcated its south-western flank. These peristaltic stones defined the outer perimeter of the monument and gave it a monumental silhouette in the landscape. The materials used were probably local Armorican bedrock, granite or schist, quarried near the site and laid using lever techniques, dragging on logs and earth fill.
Related Figures
Communautés néolithiques du Massif armoricain (bâtisseurs du monument, vers 3500-2500 av. J.-C.)Explorateurs anonymes du XIXe siècle (auteurs de la fouille ancienne de la chambre principale)Chercheurs de la Direction des Antiquités préhistoriques de Bretagne (étude et signalement du monument avant 1986)Ministère de la Culture français (arrêté d'inscription aux Monuments Historiques, 6 mai 1986)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré located?
Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré is located in Carentoir, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré open to visitors?
Sépulture mégalithique de Sigré is currently closed to visitors.