Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen de Vagouar-Huen, also known as the Dolmen de la Pierre Blanche, is a megalithic monument located on the island of Groix in the Morbihan department of Brittany. This corridor dolmen, typical of the Neolithic, is distinguished by its east orientation and its notable dimensions: 8.80 meters long, including 3 meters for the funeral chamber, 0.90 meters for the antechamber and 4.90 meters for the corridor. The room is covered with two micaschist slabs, the largest of which, decorated with six cups, is 3.50 meters long. Excavations carried out in 1906 by L. Le Pontois and P. du Chatellier revealed pottery studs dated Neolithic, although the site was looted and filled prior to their intervention.

The dolmen was classified as a historic monument by order of 1 July 1966, thus recognizing its heritage value. A particular feature of the site is the presence of a bitter, white brand that earned him his second name, as well as a recent engraving by local painter Jean Tonnerre on one of the slabs. The floor tiles in the corridor have disappeared, but those still in place, extracted on site, testify to the construction techniques of the time. This monument illustrates the importance of funeral practices and architectural know-how of neolithic communities in Brittany.

The 1906 excavations collected ten pottery pieces, attributed to seven separate vases, confirming the funeral use of the dolmen. These artifacts, though fragmentary, provide an overview of Neolithic ceramic practices in the region. The Dolmen de Vagouar-Huen, with its east-facing corridor and its imposing dimensions, remains a remarkable example of Breton megalithism, while highlighting the challenges of preservation in the face of plunder and time erosion.

External links