Tumulus de Goachauter
MonumentHidden Treasure
Tumulus de Goachauter, located in Glomel (Département 22), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Glomel, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2085, -3.4307
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089165
A stone sentinel standing on the moors of Kreiz-Breizh, the Goachauter burial mound is a Bronze Age funerary monument that has stood guard over the wild heights of Glomel for over three thousand years.
History
Perched on the heights of central Brittany, in a landscape of moorland and peat bogs characteristic of the Kreiz-Breizh region, the Goachauter burial mound is one of the silent witnesses to prehistoric humanity that dot the Armorican territory. This Bronze Age funerary monument stands in the commune of Glomel, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, a discreet but striking landmark against the undulating backdrop of the Black Mountains. What makes Goachauter so special is above all its presence in an area whose subsoil preserves a memory dating back thousands of years. Unlike the megalithic monuments of the Neolithic period, which often consisted of upright slabs, the tumulus is an earthen or mixed construction erected to house one or more princely tombs. The artificial mound, visible from the surrounding paths, evokes the symbolic power accorded to death and the afterlife by the elites of the Armorican Bronze Age - a civilisation that practised long-distance trade and left remarkably precious offerings with its dead. To visit the Goachauter burial mound is to accept a stripped-down encounter with history. There are no triumphant signs or ticket booths here: the open moorland, broom and heather create an austere, authentic setting that invites contemplation. Walkers approaching the mound immediately feel something indefinable - the gravity typical of ancient burial grounds, which have survived the centuries without ever quite being forgotten. The site is part of a wider geographical and heritage context. The Kreiz-Breizh region is home to numerous prehistoric remains, from the Cran camp to the scattered menhirs on the crests of the Black Mountains. Goachauter is an invaluable link in a network of collective memory, listed as a Monument Historique in 1970, recognising the irreplaceable value of this mound as part of Brittany's archaeological heritage.
Architecture
The Goachauter tumulus belongs to the category of Armorican Bronze Age mound burial mounds, a funerary form that is well attested throughout the Breton peninsula and neighbouring regions. It takes the form of an artificial elevation, sub-circular or slightly oval in shape, made from a pile of earth, peat and small stones quarried from the immediate surroundings. Its original height - probably between two and five metres - may have been slightly reduced by natural erosion and human activity over the millennia. The typical internal structure of such a monument includes a central burial chamber, laid out as a simple pit or as a chest of slabs of schist or granite - rocks that are abundant in the Black Mountains. This chamber was designed to receive the buried or cremated body of the deceased, depending on the practices in force at the time of construction. A cover of horizontal slabs or pieces of rotting wood sealed the grave before the mound was raised and heaped on top. The materials used are characteristic of the local geology: granite and Armorican schist provide the stony framework, while peaty moorland, rich in organic matter, makes up the mass of the mound. This combination gives Goachauter an organic silhouette that blends perfectly into the landscape of upper inland Brittany, adding to the aesthetic uniqueness of the whole.
Related Figures
Défunt inconnu de l'âge du bronze — personnage de haut rang dont la sépulture est à l'origine du monumentCommunauté de l'âge du bronze de Glomel — bâtisseurs collectifs du tertre funéraireÉrudits antiquaires bretons du XIXe siècle — premiers inventeurs et descripteurs du monumentInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1970) — acteurs de la protection officielle du site
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tumulus de Goachauter located?
Tumulus de Goachauter is located in Glomel, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Tumulus de Goachauter open to visitors?
Tumulus de Goachauter is currently closed to visitors.