Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dolmen of Penhap, built in Neolithic, is located south of Île-aux-Moines in Morbihan. This megalithic site consists of a quadrangular funeral chamber, bounded by nine orthostats supporting a 4.8 m long cover table. A sewn corridor, partially preserved, precedes this room. The first records of the monument date back to 1819, when Abbé Mahé described it as a series of tombs topped by a pyramidal menhir, already partially destroyed at that time.

As early as the 19th century, the dolmen attracted the attention of scholars: P. Lucas drew up a plan of it in 1852, while Lukis raised his engravings in 1854 and 1869, without however spreading his works. In 1865 Davy de Cussé published a plan of the dolmen and a statement of two engravings in his Collection of sculpted signs. The room, occupied by a family of fishermen during the 19th century, was searched in 1877 by Alphonse Mauricet, without significant archaeological discovery. These engravings, interpreted as an axe in her sheath or a "dagger" by the first researchers, are still being debated today.

The motifs engraved on orthostate C1, at the entrance of the room, are particularly remarkable. The inner face presents a rare drawing, assimilated to an axe or, more recently, to a squid by Serge Cassen. The outer face has a "harvest axe", a recurring pattern in the megaliths of Morbihan (Gavrinis, Mané Lud, etc.). These interpretations reflect the evolution of assumptions about megalithic art, between utility symbols and animal representations. The Dolmen is classified as a historical monument by order of 29 October 1979, thus recognizing its exceptional heritage value.

The successive excavations and studies highlight the importance of the site in the Breton megalithic landscape. Comparisons with other monuments, such as the cairn of Gavrinis or the Kermorvan site, reveal stylistic similarities that question cultural exchanges with the Neolithic. Despite the degradations suffered over the centuries, Penhap's dolmen remains a major testimony of the funeral and artistic practices of this time, while fuelling debates about the meaning of his engravings.

External links