Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec
MonumentHidden Treasure
Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec, located in Plouharnel (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Plouharnel, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6007, -3.1173
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091527
Three dolmens nestling under a single Neolithic burial mound in Plouharnel: Rondossec is one of the most unusual megalithic complexes in Morbihan, listed as one of France's first historic monuments in 1862.
History
In the heart of the Quiberon peninsula, just a stone's throw from the Carnac alignments, the Rondossec tumulus conceals one of the most remarkable curiosities of Brittany's megalithic heritage: three distinct dolmens coexisting under the same mantle of earth and stones. This tripartite configuration, rare in Western Europe, turns every visit into a veritable archaeological exploration. Each of the three dolmens has its own burial chamber, accessible via a more or less preserved entrance corridor, in a sepulchral architecture characteristic of the Armorican Middle Neolithic. The whole site, buried beneath a tumulus some forty metres long, bears witness to collective planning and funerary use probably spanning several generations, between 4500 and 3500 BC. The experience of visiting the site is one of attentive contemplation: as you enter each chamber, you immediately perceive the mastery of the Neolithic builders in the matching of the granite and schist slabs. The semi-darkness of the interior, combined with the special acoustics of the standing stones, lends the place an almost palpable atmosphere of contemplation. The site is part of an exceptionally rich territory, with Morbihan boasting the highest concentration of megalithic monuments in Europe. Rondossec is in close proximity to the great burial mound of Saint-Michel, the Tables des Marchands in Locmariaquer and, of course, the famous alignments of Carnac, visible on a clear day from the surrounding area. The low moorland and vast skies of the peninsula give the site a timeless dimension that even the novice can sense immediately.
Architecture
The Rondossec burial mound is an elongated mound running roughly east-west, around forty metres long with a residual height of around two to three metres. This type of multi-chamber tumulus, sometimes referred to as a compartmented cairn in recent archaeological literature, is made up of a stack of dry stone blocks covered by an earthen blanket that has partially concealed and protected the internal structures over the millennia. Each of the three dolmens follows the classic architecture of the Middle Armorican Neolithic: a polygonal or subcircular chamber delimited by large orthostatic slabs of local granite, topped by a massive roof table. The access corridors, facing south or south-east according to the prevailing practice in the region, were originally used for the ritual burial of the dead and furniture. The orthostats, which are between 1.20 and 1.80 metres high, are dry-assembled, without any binding agent, using a technique that required perfect mastery of the extraction, transport and use of the granite and schist blocks available in the immediate environment. The coexistence of three distinct architectural entities under the same mound reveals a premeditated overall design rather than a simple juxtaposition of successive additions, which places Rondossec among the most accomplished examples of Neolithic collective funerary architecture in southern Brittany.
Related Figures
Prosper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, artisan du classement de 1862 qui protégea Rondossec parmi les premiers sites préhistoriques de FranceFélix Gaillard — archéologue et préhistorien breton du XIXe siècle, pionnier du recensement des mégalithes du MorbihanLe marquis de Robien — érudit breton du XVIIIe siècle, l'un des premiers à documenter les monuments mégalithiques de la presqu'île de QuiberonZacharie Le Rouzic — archéologue carnaçois du début du XXe siècle, dont les travaux sur les monuments voisins éclairent le contexte de RondossecJames Miln — archéologue écossais établi à Carnac au XIXe siècle, dont les fouilles pionnières dans la région contribuèrent à la connaissance du Néolithique armoricain
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec located?
Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec is located in Plouharnel, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec open to visitors?
Trois dolmens dans le tumulus de Rondossec is currently closed to visitors.