Saint-Michel tumulus

The Tumulus of St. Michel is a megalithic grave mound, located east of Carnac in Brittany, France.[1] It is the largest grave mound in continental Europe.

Tumulus of St. Michel
LocationCarnac, France
RegionBrittany
Coordinates47.58779°N 3.07341°W / 47.58779; -3.07341
TypeTumulus
Length125 metres (410 ft)
Width60 metres (200 ft)
Height10 metres (33 ft)

History
Saint-Michel tumulus plan (by Zacharie Le Rouzic - Archaeologist who undertook new research and discovered new chests around the central chamber).

The tumulus was built during the fifth millennium BC.

The Saint-Michel tumulus consists of a mound of earth and stones 125 metres (410 ft) long, 50 metres (160 ft) wide and 10 metres (33 ft) high.[1] Explored in 1862, researchers found there a central vault containing fairly prestigious funerary furniture : axes, pearls, flint tools and sillimanite.

It is the subject of a classification as "Monument historique" (National heritage site) since 1889.

Around 1900, the archaeologist Zacharie Le Rouzic again excavated the Saint-Michel tumulus and discovered a second dolmen and fifteen small stone chests, thus revealing the complexity of this monument.

References
  1. "Saint-Michel tumulus". www.megalithes-morbihan.com. Retrieved 6 November 2014.


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