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Origin and history

The Dolmens de Béhélect, also known as the Dolmens des Hardys-Béhélect, form a complex of at least six megalithic monuments distributed between the communes of Saint-Marcel and Bohal in Morbihan. These structures, dated from the Neolithic, line up on a north-east/south-west axis on a plot now wooded and integrated into a private castle park. Their discovery and first description date back to the early twentieth century, thanks in particular to the work of archaeologist Louis Marsille, who recorded eight in 1914, some of which had already been partially destroyed. The dolmens still visible today have not been thoroughly studied since that time, but their condition seems to be stable from historical observations.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, these monuments were wrongly called "cromlechs" before being correctly identified as dolmens by Marsille in 1909. The latter also mentioned the presence of "tumulus" in the surrounding moors. In 1966, the six dolmens located in the commune of Saint-Marcel were registered as Historic Monuments, recognizing their heritage value. Their architecture varies: some, such as dolmen n°1, have a circular chamber preceded by a disoriented corridor in the form of "q", while others, such as dolmens n°5 and 6, are "matched" and large, with roof tables still partially in place.

The dolmens are built of local quartz, quartzite and sandstone, and their low current height suggests that they were initially surmounted by dry stone walls mounted in corbellation, now missing. No recent archaeological excavations have delivered material, but their layout and orientation (for some openings east) reflect funeral and symbolic practices specific to Neolithic. Dolmens 7 and 8, located in the neighbouring municipality of Bohal, complete this set, although their conservation status is more precarious. Their location in a private park today limits their accessibility, but their preservation remains an issue for the understanding of Breton megalithism.

The most detailed description dates back to Marsille's observations in 1914, which noted, for example, that dolmen n°1 was 2.70 m in diameter for its chamber, bounded by ten orthostates, while dolmen n°5 and 6 had circular or rectangular chambers with still visible cover tables. The dolmen n°2, to the west of the castle, is almost entirely ruined, suggesting only an arc of circle. Despite their varying state, these monuments illustrate the architectural diversity of the dolmens of the region and their integration into a landscape today wooded, contrasting with their original environment, probably more open during their construction.

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