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Origin and history

Kermarker's dolmen, also known as Kermarker, is a corridor dolmen located in La Trinité-sur-Mer, Morbihan. It dates from Neolithic and was explored by several archaeologists in the 19th century, including the Morbihan Polymathic Society in 1866, Lukis in 1867, and Felix Gaillard in 1887. Zacharie Le Rouzic carried out restoration work between 1905 and 1927. This monument, classified in 1899, is distinguished by its east-facing corridor and its south-west side cabinet, with three slabs of cover still in place.

The dolmen is about 5 meters long and has 15 orthostats. During the excavations, various objects were discovered, including arrow tips, ceramic fragments, flint and diorite pendants, and a vase preserved at the British Museum. These artifacts are distributed among the collections of the Polymathic Society, the Museum of Prehistory of Carnac, and the British Museum. The pavement covered a layer of white quartz pebbles, typical of the megalithic buildings of that time.

Kermarker's dolmen illustrates the funeral and ritual practices of Neolithic in Brittany. The objects discovered, such as arrow tips and ceramics, suggest a prolonged use of the site, probably for sepulchral and symbolic purposes. The presence of a side cabinet and east-facing corridor may indicate beliefs related to light or solar cycles, although these interpretations remain hypothetical in the absence of written sources.

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