Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen du Port-aux-Moines, also named dolmen de Men-Maria, is an iconic megalithic building located in Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, Morbihan. Data of Neolithic, it belongs to the category of corridor dolmens, a funerary structure characteristic of this period. Oriented on a south-west/north-east axis, it is distinguished by a slightly trapezoidal chamber of 6.20 meters long, divided into two parts by a threshold. Its corridor, short and staggered, leads to a room whose pavement, partially preserved, reveals traces of ancient developments. Part of the monument was damaged during the construction of a nearby road, while the limits of its cairn, very eroded, remain undetermined.

In 1969, the dolmen was classified as historical monuments by ministerial decree, thereby recognizing its heritage value. However, its existence was threatened in 1972 by the development of a parking lot on the adjacent port. These projects motivated a rescue search in 1978, led by local archaeologists. The research reveals remarkable funerary furniture, including typically Armorian shoulder vases, lithic tools (lames, arrow frames) and bone objects (slips made from skate darts). These artifacts illustrate the cultural and craft practices of the Neolithic communities in the region.

Archaeological discoveries reveal a hunted faction, suggesting exchanges or influences between the Armo Rican populations and other neolithic groups. The globose vases and the flint tools, combined with bone remains worked, testify to an organized society, mastering advanced techniques of size and pottery. Subsequent publications, including those of Joël Lecornec in the Bulletin of the Morbihan Polymatic Society (1981, 1983), document these excavations and analyse their significance for the understanding of funeral rites and human occupation in the Gulf of Morbihan.

Today, the dolmen of the Port aux Moines remains a key site for the study of Breton megalithism. Although partially altered by modern amenities, it offers a valuable insight into the architectural and spiritual practices of Neolithic. Its location in Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, on the peninsula of Rhuys, makes it a major point of interest for researchers and visitors interested in the prehistoric heritage of Brittany.

External links