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Origin and history

Runesto Dolmen, also known as Er Roc'h, is a megalithic building located in Plouharnel, Morbihan. This monument, dated Neolithic, illustrates the funeral and cultural practices of prehistoric societies in the region. Until 1845, it even housed a blacksmith's workshop, revealing a late re-use of the site. Ranked among the first French historical monuments in 1889, it was searched in 1866 by the Morbihan Polymathic Society, revealing significant artifacts.

The dolmen's structure is partially buried in a tumulus today abrased, and its access corridor has disappeared. The funeral chamber, of subcircular shape, is bounded by eight orthostats and covered by a cover table decorated with three lined cups. Two erect blocks, visible nearby, could belong to the original building. The exposed archaeological furniture includes five polished stone axes, one of which is made of 27 cm jadeite, as well as fibrolith tools, attesting to the ritual and artisanal importance of the site.

In 1996, archaeologist Serge Cassen revealed exceptional rock engravings on the slabs of the dolmen. The C4 slab has a volute handle axe and four butts, while the C5 slab has a similar axe, bow, arrow and "U" sign. The cover table, re-used from an outer stele, bears a motif evoking a shield. These engravings, combined with funeral furniture, underline the symbolic and religious role of the dolmen in neolithic society.

The site, located precisely in Runesto (5170, 56340 Plouharnel), has been classified as historical monuments since 1889, under the cadastral reference F 242. Although partially altered by modern amenities, such as an access staircase, there remains a major testimony of Breton megalithism. The old photographs of Zacharie Le Rouzic (1864–1939), licensed Creative Commons, document its past state, while its current location is assessed as "passable" (level 5/10) in terms of cartographic accuracy.

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