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Covered driveway from Loc'h ar Pont to Melgven dans le Finistère

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine Celtique
Allées couvertes
Finistère

Covered driveway from Loc'h ar Pont to Melgven

    Le Bourg
    29140 Melgven
Allée couverte de Loch ar Pont à Melgven
Allée couverte de Loch ar Pont à Melgven
Allée couverte de Loch ar Pont à Melgven
Allée couverte de Loch ar Pont à Melgven
Crédit photo : Yann Gwilhoù - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Néolithique
Âge du Bronze
Âge du Fer
Antiquité
Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
4100 av. J.-C.
4000 av. J.-C.
0
1800
1900
2000
Néolithique
Construction of covered roadway
1835
First written description
1875
Archaeological excavations
30 janvier 1964
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Covered alley, known as Ty Corriganet, by Coat Menez Guen (case E 227): by order of 30 January 1964

Key figures

Chevalier de Fréminville - First known description Author of the written mention in 1835.
V. de Montifault - 1875 searches Archaeologist exhumed pottery.

Origin and history

The covered lane of Loc'h ar Pont, also called Ty Corriganet or covered driveway of Coat Menez Guen, is a megalithic monument located in Melgven, Finistère. This Neolithic site is distinguished by its arc-button structure, its massive slabs (including one of 20 tons) and its north-west/south-east orientation. Originally covered by an oval tumulus of 35 m long, it measures 14 m and is bounded by twelve orthostates in local migmatite. Two of his covering slabs carry cupules, interpreted as traces of korrigans in Breton folklore.

The first written mention of the monument dates back to 1835, thanks to the Chevalier de Fréminville. In 1875, V. de Montifault conducted excavations that revealed pottery coats dated to the Campaniforme: a coarse black ceramic and another reddish decorated with parallel motifs. These findings suggest a re-use or occupation after Neolithic. The site is classified as a historic monument on January 30, 1964, protecting its architectural and archaeological integrity.

Local folklore combines covered driveway with korrigans, mythical Breton creatures. The name Ty Corriganet also means "the house of the korrigans", and the cupules on the slabs are, according to legend, fingerprints of their fingers. These stories illustrate the symbolic importance of megaliths in Breton culture, where prehistoric monuments and popular beliefs intertwine. The cuplets, 19 and 28 on two slabs, have varying sizes (30 to 110 mm in diameter), without apparent organization.

Architecturally, the gangway is characterized by a complex covering system: three massive slabs partially rest on the orthostats by bowing and on the tumulus, although the chamber is already covered by the side stones. The largest slab, weighing 20 tons, is 5.50 m long. The floor of the chamber had slabs laid on a bed of moellons and yellow clay, while the tumulus was reinforced by quartz pebbles (from a nearby river). These technical details demonstrate the expertise of Neolithic builders.

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