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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The covered walkway of Trelan, located in Saint-Marcel in Morbihan, is a megalithic vestige dated from the Neolithic. This funerary monument, typical of the region, is distinguished by its elongated structure of 18 meters long, bounded by sixteen orthostates in shale, a rock absent from the local substrate (pudding). The blocks, transported for about 200 meters, form a north-south facing room, with an entrance to the south and a monumental bedside slab to the north. Two cover tables remain, while the original tumulus was lined with small shale slabs, partially visible today.

According to L. Marsille's observations, the covered driveway was damaged at the time of the construction of the Nea's mill dam and the nearby lock (1.5 km), during which stones were removed. In particular, these disturbances have affected orthostats on the east side, which are now missing or inverted. The monument, whose present state reflects these upheavals, was classified as historical monuments by decree of 10 February 1964, thereby recognizing its heritage value.

The structure has an architectural characteristic: the orthostats on the west side, still in place, overlap, while those on the east side have been moved or destroyed. The excavations and studies, like those mentioned by Philippe Gouézin in Les megalithes du Morbihan interior (1994), underline the importance of this site in the study of neolithic funeral practices in Brittany. The choice of shale, a non-local material, suggests a deliberate desire to mark the monument, perhaps linked to symbolic or practical considerations specific to the community that erected it.

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