France’s ‘Megalithic Parthenon’

My wife, Dorothy, and I visited the Cairn of Barnenez, located near Morlaix, in Brittany on the west coast of France, in May ’11.

Barnenez was built as a tumulus (a mound of earth and stones covering tombs) between 4850 and 4000 BC.* It is approximately 236 feet long, up to 82 feet wide and over 26 feet high. There are 11 passages, each leading to several tombs. For safety reasons, none of these are open to the public.

What amazes visitors to Barnenez is that the structure, comprising probably more than a million stones, was built without any mortar; the stones are fitted without any type of bonding material. Of particular interest to me was the entrance to a passage; the arched frame was comparable to that of a cathedral window.

The site was discovered in the 1800s, and in the early 1950s a construction company bought it to use as a quarry. However, preservationists, archaeologists and scientists pressured the French government to protect the site as a historical monument, and in 1959 the Ministry of Culture declared Barnenez to be a “Megalithic Parthenon.”

There is a small museum on the grounds that describes the rehabilitation of this valuable historic site. If you’re in the area, Barnenez is a worthwhile side trip.

WALTER HUSE
Fort Myers, FL

*Much of the earth over the cairn has been excavated, revealing the stone structure. The Cairn de Barnenez (29252 Plouezoc’h; phone 33 [0] 2 98 67 24 73) is open daily 10-6 May-June and 10-6:30 July-Aug. and daily (except Monday) 10-12:30 and 2-5:30 Sept.-April. Admission, €5 [near $7]; reduced rate, €3.50.