Construction of burial Néolithique (≈ 4100 av. J.-C.)
Estimated period of construction of the monument.
6 mai 1986
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 6 mai 1986 (≈ 1986)
Official protection by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Megalithic burial, including a 5 m wide strip of land around the visible parts of the monument (Box 38 C): inscription by order of 6 May 1986
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The megalithic burial of Sigré is a grave with a lateral entrance located in the woods of the "Landes de Couesmé", 120 metres south of the hamlet of Sigré, on the southern limit of the commune of Carentoir (Morbihan). This funerary monument, typical of Neolithic, is distinguished by its well preserved terminal cell, while the rest of the structure, 14 meters long, is in poor condition: the cover tables have disappeared, and only four orthostats of the main chamber remain. A transverse slab suggests an internal compartment, and two perpendicular slabs mark the lateral entrance. The tumulus, bounded by three erect slabs, remains visible despite the disturbances caused by an old quarry.
The site was the subject of an ancient search, limited to the funeral chamber, without major alteration of the terre. The slabs, in red shale, and the arrangement of architectural elements (such as still standing pillars or slabs delimiting the terre) make it possible to envisage a complex organization, possibly linked to ritual or social practices specific to the Neolithic. The burial has been protected since its inscription as historical monuments by order of 6 May 1986, including a 5 metre strip of land around visible remains.
The location of the megalith, in a wooded space and away from urban areas, reflects the frequent choice of neolithic societies for discrete places, often associated with significant natural landscapes. These collective graves, like Sigré's, played a central role in the memory of communities, serving as both a burial place and a territorial landmark. Their construction in shale, local material, emphasizes the adaptation of the builders to the available resources, while revealing a certain mastery of the techniques of size and assembly for the period.
Available sources, including Philippe Gouézin's descriptions in Les megalithes du Morbihan interior (1994), confirm the importance of this site in the Breton archaeological heritage. Although partially ruined, the grave of Sigré offers a valuable testimony about the funeral practices and megalithic architecture of the region, complementing the knowledge of the dense network of similar monuments in Morbihan.
