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Origin and history

The Menhir de Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché, also known as Menhir de Callac, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, Brittany. Dated from Neolithic, it is a block of local shale measuring 3.90 meters high, 1.50 meters wide and 0.80 meters thick, erected on a plateau. This type of monument reflects the cultural and religious practices of prehistoric societies in the region.

The menhir was classified as historical monuments by order of 26 February 1974, thereby recognizing its heritage and archaeological value. It is referred to as menhir (Box ZM 38) in the official bases, and its precise location is indicated as 5099 Callac, 22530 Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché. This site is part of a larger set of megaliths present in the Côtes-d'Armor, studied in works such as Les megalithes de l'arrondissement de Guingamp (Loïc Langouët, 2006).

In the Neolithic, Breton communities erected menhirs, often associated with ritual, funeral or territorial functions. These monuments, carved from local materials such as the shale, reflect a technical mastery and an advanced social organization. Their presence in the landscape still marks the legacy of the first sedentary societies in the region, although their exact uses remain partly mysterious for archaeologists.

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