Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Kergadiou Menhir, erected during the Neolithic period, stands in Plourin in the Finistère. With a height of 8.55 meters, it is the second highest menhir in France after Kerloas. Consisting of a block of granite of the Aber Ildut, it weighs about 40 tons. Its south face was snuffed, and unsuccessful excavations were conducted at its base around 1861. Nearby, a second menhir lying 10 metres long and weighing 60 tons, has a regulated upper face, while its base suggests that it could have been straightened or abandoned during its erection.

The Chevalier de Fréminville described the site at the beginning of the 19th century, and the menhir was listed as a historic monument on September 25, 1883. A local legend tells that a witch, furious after a British island lady stole the menhir, threw a block of stone to destroy it, forming the menhir lying down. This site illustrates the importance of megaliths in the Breton landscape, linked to funeral, ritual or symbolic practices during Neolithic.

The Kergadiou Menhir is representative of the megalithic constructions of the region, often associated with alignments or funeral sets. Its exceptional size and state of conservation make it a major testimony of prehistoric architecture. The two menhirs, standing and lying, offer an overview of the techniques of size and transport of granite blocks, as well as the beliefs and legends that have been attached to them for centuries.

The excavations carried out in the 19th century did not reveal any objects or associated structures, leaving mysteries on the exact function of the site. Regulating the visible faces of menhirs by boucharding suggests an aesthetic or symbolic concern, while their implantation on an unmarked hill might indicate a deliberate choice for remote visibility. These elements reinforce the hypothesis of a marked place, possibly linked to rituals or territorial delimitation.

The protection of the menhir in 1883 emphasized its early heritage importance, in a context where megalithic monuments were often neglected or destroyed. Today, the site remains a point of interest for archaeologists and visitors, attracted by its history, legend and integration into the Breton landscape. Recent studies, such as those conducted by Yohann Sparfel and Yvan Pailler, continue to enrich the knowledge of this emblematic monument.

External links