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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The dolmens of Mané-Kerioned form a set of three corridor dolmens located in Carnac, Morbihan, dating from Neolithic. Classified as Historical Monuments in 1889, they were originally searched in 1866 by the Morbihan Polymathic Society under the names of "Dolmens of Kiaval A, B and C". These structures were originally embedded in the same elongated tumulus, whose base was bounded by large blocks. Their particular orientation distinguishes this set: the dolmens n°1 and n°2 open to the south, while the central dolmen (n°3), perpendicular to the others, opens to the east.

During the excavations of 1866, Dolmen A delivered fragments of pottery, flint tools, a fibrolith axe and shell fossils, while Dolmen B revealed bones, terracotta grains and a red quartz kidney. The more modest dolmen C contained only a few pottery and a flint knife. In 1922, Zacharie Le Rouzic discovered a slab engraved with two axes in the tumulus during a restoration. The engravings of eight orthostates of Dolmen B, originally interpreted as paintings by Dryden in 1868, were later identified as traces of modern materials.

The site was restored several times, notably by Zacharie Le Rouzic in 1899, 1901 and 1922. The dolmens, built of granite, have distinct architectural characteristics: the dolmen A (8.50 m long) and the dolmen B (10 m), the most imposing, have paved rooms resting on pebbles beds, while the dolmen C (6 m), lower, is entirely covered with three large slabs. Their archaeological furniture, preserved by the Polymathic Society, bears witness to complex funeral and ritual practices.

The toponym Mané-Kerioned, meaning the "butt to the elves" in Breton, refers to local folklore combining these monuments with Korrigans (or Kerions), mythical creatures supposed to inhabit the dolmens. This name reflects the popular imagination of Breton, where megaliths were often perceived as magical places or inhabited by spirits. The site, searched and studied in the 19th century, illustrates the importance of archaeological research in understanding the neolithic societies of Brittany.

The dolmens of Mané-Kerioned were classified twice in 1889: for the first time as such, a second with the dolmen next to Kériaval. Their early protection underscores their exceptional heritage value. Successive restorations, although controversial for some interventions, have preserved these fragile structures, which are now emblematic of the megalithic heritage of Carnac and Breton.

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