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Origin and history

The Tumulus of Mané er Hroëck, also known as the Tumulus of Ruyk, is a megalithic monument located in Locmariaquer, Morbihan. This site, dated from Neolithic, is distinguished by its ellipsoidal shape of 100 meters long, 60 meters wide and 10 meters high. It consists of a cairn covered with a layer of land, housing a burial chamber in the shape of a megalithic chest, discovered inviolated in 1863 by René Wales. This room, paved and covered with three superimposed slabs, contained exceptional furniture, including a jadeite ring, jasper pendants, and polished fibrolith axes.

Rene Wales' 1863 excavation revealed a granite-engraved stele, now sealed in the room, although part of it was stolen in 1993. The tumulus, classified as a historical monument as early as 1889, also delivered Roman-era objects in its upper layer, suggesting partial reuse of the site. The funeral chamber, accessible by modern furnishings, preserves traces of charcoal and flint tools, showing complex ritual or funeral practices.

According to a local legend, the Breton name Mané er Hroëck means "the hill of the fairy". The tumulus would be the result of a magical night's work, where a mother desperate for her son's absence at sea would, with the help of a fairy, have built this mound to better watch her return. This folk tale illustrates the symbolic importance of the site, placed at the mouth of the Auray River, near the Kerpenhir Point. The objects discovered today, preserved at the Vannes Museum of History and Archaeology, highlight the cultural and artisanal richness of the Neolithic communities of the region.

The tumulus is surrounded by two menhirs located 50 meters southeast, strengthening its integration into a larger megalithic landscape. Its structure, combining cairn and earth, as well as its north-west/south-east orientation, reflect advanced architectural know-how for the time. The site, owned by the municipality of Locmariaquer, remains a major testimony of the funeral and symbolic practices of Neolithic in Brittany.

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