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Origin and history

The megalithic area of the Monteneuf Right Stones, located in Morbihan, is an exceptional site with 42 menhirs and nearly 400 monoliths in local purple shale. Contrary to its designation of "alignment", the majority of stones are not aligned but distributed according to various logics: non-parallel lines or groupings without apparent organization. The blocks, of various forms (quadrangular, fusiform or informed), were extracted from local quarries, where natural bowls and diaclases were exploited. Linear tracks and dammed areas suggest the use of wooden rails and easels for transport and dressing.

The first written mention of the site dates back to 1825 by Canon Mahé, who evokes only seven or eight menhirs visible. It was not until after the 1976 fires, revealing stones hidden by vegetation, that the scale of the site was rediscovered. Between 1989 and 1996, Yannick Lecerf conducted systematic searches under the auspices of the DRAC, uncovering pits, oblong tumulus, and evidence of deliberate destruction. Carbon 14 dating places construction between the middle and final Neolithic (around 4500 BP), while evidence of destruction (metal tools, trenches) suggests organized destruction between the 7th and 12th centuries.

The site, which was listed as a historical monument in 1997 and integrated into the Monteneuf Landes Regional Nature Reserve in 2013, was restored after the excavations. Menhirs have been straightened, and an interpretive path has been developed to enhance this heritage. No engraving was found on the stones, but artifacts (neolithic pottery, bronze axe of the Bronze Age) attest to prolonged attendance. The site, without funerary or domestic function, is distinguished by its spatial organization responding to geological and topographical constraints, with a general orientation east/west.

The destruction of the site seems to have been methodical: the stones were spilled in trenches or broken on site, without moving fragments. The use of metal tools and the magnitude of the damage indicate a deliberate desire to erase, mobilizing a large workforce. Despite this destruction, extraction quarries, transport routes, and calving systems (stone crowns, pits) offer a rare testimony of neolithic techniques of megalithism. The site remains a unique example of in situ conservation of remains, from quarries to handling areas.

Today, the domain of the Right Stones is both a protected archaeological site and a preserved natural space. Annual prospecting since 2014 complements the knowledge gained during the 1990s excavations. Its integration into a nature reserve underscores its dual heritage and ecological interest, while its mediation allows the public to discover the prehistoric know-how and mysteries surrounding its destruction.

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