What are the stones in Brittany?
Megalithic mystery The standing stones of Carnac are one of Brittany’s greatest attractions. Three fields – Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan – contain around 3,000 aligned megaliths, which date from 4000BC.
What was the purpose of the Carnac Stones?
One researcher believed the stones were erected as an earthquake detector while another interpretation is that they were put there by ancient people to honor their ancestors.
Where are the Carnac Stones?
Brittany
Carnac, village, Morbihan département, Bretagne (Brittany) region, western France, near the Atlantic coast, just southwest of Auray. It is the site of more than 3,000 prehistoric stone monuments.
How did the Carnac Stones get there?
Some believe that the Carnac Stones have been there since 4500 BCE. Unlike other megalithic sites where the rocks were moved great distances, the stones at Carnac were cut from local granite and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany.
Can you visit the Carnac stones?
The stones of Carnac are free to visit from October to March. From April to September, it is only possible to visit them as part of a paid tour with a guide. The sites at Ménec and Kermario have car parks.
Is Carnac older than Stonehenge?
Still a mystery about why they are in straight =lines, about 2000 years earlier than Stonehenge, which follows the more predictable circular ligament. …
How heavy are the Carnac stones?
about 355 tonnes
The stones would have weighed about 355 tonnes when complete and have stood over 20 metres high.
How old are Carnac stones?
7000 years old
7000 years old, the megalithic alignments of Carnac are world famous and are one of the most important centres of European prehistory in existence.
Is Carnac worth visiting?
No trip to Carnac is complete without visiting what the town is most famous for – the standing stones (also known as menhirs). Menhirs, tumuli, dolmens and alignments span an area over 4 kilometres long, with over 3,000 stones still standing on a site dating back over 7,000 years.
Who built Carnac?
of Brittany
More than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany. This is the largest such collection of stones in the world. Most of the stones are within the Breton village of Carnac, but some to the east are within La Trinité-sur-Mer.
Where are the prehistoric Carnac stones located?
The Carnac stones (Breton: Steudadoù Karnag) are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany in northwestern France, consisting of stone alignments (rows), dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones).
What are the megaliths of Carnac?
The Carnac stones (Breton: Steudadoù Karnag) are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites near the south coast of Brittany in northwestern France, consisting of stone alignments (rows), dolmens (stone tombs), tumuli (burial mounds) and single menhirs (standing stones).