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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dolmen and menhir de Kercadre form a megalithic ensemble located in Moëlan-sur-Mer, Finistère, dating from the Neolithic. This site consists of a covered walkway facing southeast/northwest, 11 metres long, and a 3.15 metre high menhir, located less than 5 metres east of the driveway. The structures, mainly in pink and micaschist granite, bear witness to a complex funeral and symbolic architecture, typical of this period.

The covered alley, excavated by Paul du Châtellier in 1882, reveals a rich archaeological furniture: pottery (including a campaniform vase), polished stone axes, reinforcements of flint arrows, pendants, a copper dagger and a bow armband. These artifacts suggest funeral and ritual practices, as well as advanced craftsmanship. The floor, paved with thin slabs, and the presence of a vestibule reinforce the hypothesis of a sacred space dedicated to the dead.

The site, first mentioned by René-François Le Men in 1876, has been listed as a historic monument since October 7, 1931. Its name, Park-ar-Minigou ("field with small stones"), and its location in the district of Kersegalou ("place of the wise"), underline its cultural and geographical anchor. The menhir, aligned with the driveway, could mark an astronomical or symbolic orientation, although this hypothesis is not explicitly documented in the sources.

Subsequent excavations and studies, including those of Yvan Pailler and Yohann Sparfel in 2011, confirm the regional importance of the site among the megalithic monuments of Finistère. Its state of conservation and legal protection make it a valuable testimony of neolithic practices in Brittany, while asking questions about the beliefs and social organization of the communities of the time.

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