Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dolmen and covered driveway of Kergünteil, about 100 meters away, are two megalithic monuments located in the municipality of Tregastel, in the Côtes-d'Armor. These buildings, dated from Neolithic, illustrate the funeral and architectural practices of that time. The dolmen, consisting of three orthostats and a 5.75 m long cover table, was reused as a dwelling and then stable, partially altering its original structure. A menhir, now extinct, once stood between the two monuments.

Covered walkway, 8.50 m long, presents a remarkable decoration for the Armo Rican final Neolithic (ca. -2,500). Several orthostats on the north side are decorated with engravings, including pairs of breasts in relief accompanied by picked necklaces, as well as stylized representations called "pallets". These carefully polished motifs suggest a symbolism related to fertility or the cult of ancestors. Excavations in 1939 revealed lithic objects (polished axes, flint dagger) and pottery, including "collet bottles" typical of cultural exchanges between the coasts of the Channel and the North Sea.

The site was classified as historical monuments by decree of 8 August 1948, after a controversial restoration in 1939 by the town hall of Tregastel, with the help of the inhabitants. This intervention, considered hazardous, may have altered some of the original characteristics of monuments. Despite these changes, the covered lane retains intact architectural elements, such as its six northern orthostats and seven southern orthostats, covered with four cover tables. The dolmen, on the other hand, remains backed by a slope that could be a vestige of its original tumulus.

The objects discovered during the excavations, including polished axes and ceramics, are partly preserved at the Tregastel initiative union. Among them, a flint knife of the type Grand Pressigny and "collet bottles" attest to links with distant areas such as North Germany or Denmark. These artifacts, as well as the engravings of covered driveway, underline the cultural and ritual importance of the site. According to a local legend, the dolmen would have sheltered a wirer with supernatural capabilities, launching its spindle at a prodigious distance.

The current state of the monuments makes it difficult to determine their original entrance, although the hypothesis of a south-east access is preferred for the dolmen. Covered lane, east-southeast-west-northwest, has a variable height between 1 m and 1.20 m. His decorated orthostats, notably pillars 4 and 5, offer a rare example of Armomeric megalithic art. Modern vandalism, however, damaged some engravings, adding to the challenges of preserving this exceptional heritage.

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