Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët
MonumentHidden Treasure
Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët, located in Caurel (Département 22), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Caurel, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2262, -3.0079
- Mérimée Reference
- PA22000001
A megalithic jewel in Central Brittany, the Corn-er-Houët dolmen is home to the region's only megalithic rock art and a virtually intact 5,000-year-old mound.
History
In the heart of the Guerlédan region, in the wooded silence of the Caurel heights, the Corn-er-Houët dolmen stands as an exceptional testimony to Breton Neolithic civilisation. Protected by a remarkably well-preserved schist mound, this funerary monument belongs to a rare architectural family: side-entrance tombs, of which it is the best-preserved example in the whole of Brittany. As such, its heritage value is inestimable. What sets Corn-er-Houët apart from the multitude of other Breton megaliths is the uniqueness of its interior layout. An entrance vestibule communicates with the burial chamber through a circular opening cut into a slab - a so-called "pseudo-hublot" structure - reminiscent of the stone portholes found in certain tombs in north-western Europe. This architectural detail bears witness to long-distance cultural exchanges within the Atlantic Neolithic world, and is fascinating for anyone interested in prehistoric mobility. But perhaps the most moving discovery on the site is the rock engravings. The two large slabs in the vestibule are decorated with megalithic motifs that make up the only group of rock art in Central Brittany known to date. Crescents, cupules, serpentine lines: these mysterious signs, traced five millennia ago, engage visitors in a dialogue through time of rare intensity. A visit to Corn-er-Houët also offers a striking natural setting. Nestling in a landscape of moorland and forest overlooking the artificial lake of Guerlédan, the site invites you to take a walk that is as rejuvenating as it is archaeological. Far from the crowds of the great megalithic sites of Morbihan, it retains an almost confidential atmosphere of discovery, invaluable for heritage lovers in search of authenticity.
Architecture
The Corn-er-Houët dolmen belongs to the category of side-entrance tombs, a rare architectural type in Brittany, of which it is the best-preserved example. The building is based on an elongated plan organised around two distinct areas: an access vestibule open to the side, and the burial chamber itself, connected by a circular opening - the "pseudo-hublot" - cut into a separating slab. This device, which symbolically controls the passage between the world of the living and that of the dead, is characteristic of a Nordic architectural influence integrated with local Late Neolithic traditions. The whole structure rests on massive slabs of schist, a remarkably resistant rock typical of the geological substratum of the Breton Massif Central. The mound enclosing the structure is virtually intact, which is exceptional: its periphery is delimited by a facing of upright slabs of schist forming a protective belt, a constructional detail that is extremely rare at this level of preservation in central Brittany. This mound provides the chamber with thermal and mechanical protection, which partly explains the excellent preservation of the engravings inside. These engravings are the most precious element of the site from an artistic point of view. The two large slabs in the vestibule bear a series of megalithic motifs - probably crescents, serpentiforms and cupules - similar to those found in the great centres of Atlantic megalithic art such as Gavrinis or the burial mounds of the Boyne Valley in Ireland. Their presence in central Brittany, far from the recognised centres of Armorican megalithic art, gives Corn-er-Houët a unique and scientifically valuable status.
Related Figures
Bâtisseurs anonymes du Néolithique récent (vers 3000 av. J.-C.), communautés agro-pastorales de Bretagne centralePaul du Châtellier (1833-1911), archéologue breton pionnier de l'inventaire des mégalithes armoricainsZacharie Le Rouzic (1864-1939), conservateur du musée de Préhistoire de Carnac, figure centrale de l'archéologie mégalithique bretonneJacques Briard (1933-2002), préhistorien breton dont les travaux ont contribué à la connaissance des monuments funéraires armoricains
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët located?
Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët is located in Caurel, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët open to visitors?
Sépulture mégalithique dite dolmen de Corn-er-Houët is currently closed to visitors.