Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Manio quadrilateral, located in Carnac, Brittany, is a megalithic site dating from the Neolithic period. It corresponds to the remains of a tumulus, the present enclosure of which results from a post-floating restoration (circa 1890), partially faithful to the descriptions of the period. The terter, initially surmounted by a mill, was completely cleared without significant discovery, leaving room for a structure of 45 meters long composed of 83 stones.

The excavations of 1890, carried out while the site was covered by a terre, revealed a double enclosure: the first, facing east/west (36 m long), was joined to one second (7.50 m x 9.40 m) consisting of eight to nine stones. The work, conducted under the aegis of the Morbihan Polymathic Society, was documented by Gustave de Closmadeuc, whose sketches and notes (1890) differ from the final restoration. No artifact was exhumed from the tumulus.

Ranked a historic monument in 1900 with the nearby Menhir the Giant of Manio, the quadrilateral illustrates neolithic funeral architecture. Its precise location, 45 meters north of the menhir, and its present state reflect both the 19th century interventions and the limits of archaeological knowledge of the period. Subsequent publications, such as those of Zacharie Le Rouzic (1920), complete the original archives.

Today, the site is part of a larger megalithic complex, typical of Morbihan, marked by an exceptional concentration of prehistoric monuments. Its early classification underlines its heritage importance, although its restoration has partially altered its authenticity. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) confirm its reference status for the study of Breton tumular enclosures.

External links