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Heritage classified

Origin and history

Kerelcun's tumulus group, located in La Feuillé in Finistère, is a remarkable archaeological group of Bronze Age. Composed of four tumulus (earth mound graves), it is one of the last preserved examples of tumulus fields in Brittany. These structures, erected around 2000 B.C., form a triangle of about 300 metres by 150 metres. Their dimensions range from 1 to 2 metres in height, with diameters of 12 to 18 metres, characterized by flattened spherical caps.

The site has never been the subject of archaeological excavations, thus preserving its integrity. Each tumulus marks a collective or individual burial, typical of the funeral practices of Bronze Age. Their disposition and state of conservation make this a rare testimony to the rituals and spatial organization of the protohistoric societies of the region. The site was protected by a Historical Monument Registration Order on 21 May 1996, covering both the tumulus and surrounding parcels.

The absence of excavations limits the precise knowledge of buried individuals or associated objects, but the shape and layout of tumulus suggest a desire to permanently mark the landscape. These funeral monuments reflect a period when sedentary communities structured their territory around places of collective memory, often linked to important ancestors or social figures. Their preservation today offers a window on the beliefs and construction techniques of the Bronze Age in Armoric.

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