Origin and history
The Lizo camp, located in Carnac, Morbihan, is a prehistoric site dating from the recent Neolithic period. It consists of defensive structures (talus, ditches), dwellings, furnaces, funeral terraces and a corridor dolmen. Although never fully explored, its general architecture remains partially known thanks to successive archaeological campaigns. The site, classified as Historic Monument in 1929, delivered abundant lithic and ceramic material, revealing prolonged occupation and artisanal activities, including pottery.
The first explorations date back to the mid-19th century, with the work of A. and G. Thomas de Closmadeuc in 1866, although no detailed report remains. In 1908, Paul Banéat made a sketch of it, followed by the excavations of Zacharie Le Rouzic between 1922 and 1926, which revealed the grave at corridor and the slopes. After its ranking, Le Rouzic continues the excavations and partially restores the site. In 1982, a rescue intervention revealed new structures after clearing, and recent surveys (2019–2024) by the University of Nantes refined the understanding of the site.
The granite promontory, culminating at 30 m above sea level, dominates the valley of the river of Crac Unlike a classic barred spur, it is accessible on three sides, with a "C"-shaped curvilinear enclosure open to the east, according to modern surveys (GPS, Lidar). The slopes, coupled with ditches, delimit an internal enclosure of 180 m by 100 m, but the south-east limits remain uncertain. The central dolmen, of a corridor type, is integrated into an oval tumulus (20 m long) and has engravings and cupules, while a funeral cistus and three terres nearby reveal ritual and domestic practices.
The excavations exhumed a rich archaeological furniture: local flint tools, polished axes, and a coarse ceramic with rudimentary decorations, including flat-bottom vases and jars. The presence of grinding wheels, ovens and fireplaces suggests intensive pottery production and sustainable occupation. Collections from the excavations are kept at the Museum of Prehistory of Carnac and the Museum of Vannes. The site, although partially understood, offers a major testimony of the Neolithic communities in Brittany.
Zacharie Le Rouzic's records in the 1920s describe a quadrangular enclosure, but modern technologies (Lidar) revealed a "C" form, questioning the initial interpretations. The slopes, constructed of local granite, are accompanied by ditches dug in the granite arena, while the houses and bottoms of huts, scattered in the camp, confirm a complex spatial organization. Despite uncertainties about its defensive system, the site illustrates the adaptation of neolithic populations to their environment.
Ceramic material, particularly abundant, includes Kerugou-type pottery and perforated edge vases, typical of recent Neolithic. Their homogeneous distribution, combined with lithic tools and traces of fire, indicates various domestic and artisanal activities. The cupules engraved on some slabs, such as those of the dolmen or the tertres, evoke symbolic or religious practices. Today, the Lizo camp remains a subject of study to understand the social and economic dynamics of neolithic societies in Brittany.
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