Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec
MonumentHidden Treasure
Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec, located in Carnac (Département 56), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Carnac, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6279, -3.0685
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091131
Au cœur du pays de Carnac, ce tumulus à double dolmen du Néolithique recèle deux chambres funéraires imbriquées, témoignage exceptionnel des rituels mégalithiques bretons vieux de plus de 5 000 ans.
History
Buried in the Morbihan countryside just a stone's throw from the famous Carnac alignments, the Er-Rohellec tumulus is one of the most unusual examples of Armorican Neolithic funerary architecture. Its distinctive feature is its double dolmen configuration: two separate burial chambers coexist under the same mound, revealing an architectural design of rare sophistication for prehistoric builders. Designed around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, at the height of the megalithic culture that turned the Quiberon peninsula and Quiberon Bay into a stone sanctuary without equal in Europe, Er-Rohellec stands in a landscape saturated with monuments. Yet it retains its own identity: the presence of two dolmens under the same mantle of earth bears witness to a collective burial practice and the reuse of the site over several generations, or to an intentional plan to accommodate distinct family or clan groups. A visit to Er-Rohellec is an invitation to quiet meditation, far from the crowds that converge on the alignments at Ménec or Kermario. The tumulus, whose low, rounded silhouette emerges gently from the ground among the gorse and ferns, exudes an atmosphere of preserved authenticity. To approach the orthostats, the large slabs of granite erected to form the walls of the burial chambers, is to touch the stone that Neolithic hands fitted with astonishing precision, using no metal tools. The natural setting enhances the archaeological emotion: the Breton bocage, the old oak trees and the low-angled light of the Atlantic wrap the site in a melancholy softness. Photographers and lovers of prehistoric heritage will find new angles here, far from the beaten track of mass tourism. For families, the site offers a living introduction to prehistory, both tangible and accessible.
Architecture
Er-Rohellec belongs to the architectural type of tumulus with corridor dolmens, characteristic of the megalithic culture of Morbihan. Its unique feature is the presence of two separate burial chambers beneath a common mound, a rare configuration that makes it a leading monument in the typological classification of Neolithic collective burials. Each dolmen consists of orthostats - large slabs of local granite standing vertically - forming the side walls of an access corridor and a burial chamber. These chambers are covered by horizontal slabs known as tables, which can weigh several tonnes. The surrounding mound is probably several dozen metres long, with a modest height that is typical of the mounds with multiple chambers in the region. The materials used are exclusively local: Morbihan grey granite, robust and abundant, whose exceptional strength explains the survival of these structures over six millennia. The layout of the two dolmens within the same burial mound - probably facing east or south-east, in keeping with the astronomical tradition of most Carnacan monuments - reflects a remarkable architectural mastery. The Neolithic builders knew how to organise the internal space of the mound to prevent the two structures from undermining each other, while at the same time ensuring the ritual accessibility of the chambers for funerary ceremonies or the deposit of offerings.
Related Figures
Zacharie Le Rouzic — archéologue morbihannais (1864-1939), il consacra sa vie à inventorier et préserver les mégalithes de Carnac, contribuant à la reconnaissance scientifique de sites comme Er-RohellecJames Miln — antiquaire écossais (1819-1881), pionnier des fouilles archéologiques à Carnac, dont les travaux initiaux ont posé les bases de la connaissance du mégalithisme armoricainProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques au XIXe siècle, dont l'action nationale a préparé le cadre législatif menant au classement de 1933Populations néolithiques armoricaines — bâtisseurs anonymes du IVe-Ve millénaire avant J.-C., auteurs de l'ensemble du complexe mégalithique carnacéen
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec located?
Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec is located in Carnac, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec open to visitors?
Tumulus à double dolmen d'Er-Rohellec is currently closed to visitors.
