Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – The stone alignments in the Carnac region of Brittany, France, are renowned as some of Europe’s most famous megalithic monuments, comparable to Stonehenge, Menga, and the megalithic temples of Malta. Recently, researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough by dating parts of these alignments with greater precision for the first time.
Carnac stones. Credit: Pinpin – CC BY-SA 3.0
This advancement has provided new insights into their function. The progress is a result of a collaborative effort between French and Swedish teams under the NEOSEA research project. The University of Gothenburg leads this initiative in collaboration with Archeodunum, a French excavation company, and the University of Nantes.
“The alignments in the Carnac region now appear to be among the earliest megalithic monuments in Europe, with this section constructed between 4600 and 4300 cal BC. We have also confirmed the Bay of Morbihan as the earliest megalithic region in Europe,” says archaeologist Bettina Schulz Paulsson at the University of Gothenburg, who leads the NEOSEA project and is one of the researchers behind the new study published in Antiquity.
In the region stretching from Carnac/La Trinité-sur-Mer to Erdeven, over 3,000 standing stones span more than 10 kilometers, creating a remarkable concentration of megalithic alignments within a coastal landscape. Archaeologists have recently uncovered a previously unknown area known as Le Plasker, located near Carnac. This discovery enabled them to conduct advanced analyses on the materials found there, including radiocarbon dating and statistical evaluations of extensive radiocarbon date series, as well as sediment and charcoal analyses.
The rescue excavation at Le Plasker is situated in the heart of Plouharnel and was carried out by Archeodunum under the guidance of Audrey Blanchard, who serves as both excavation director and researcher for the NEOSEA project at the University of Gothenburg. This work was conducted in preparation for developing a 7,000 m² business park. The use of improved modern excavation techniques alongside systematic sampling has led to the identification of numerous archaeological features.
“Thanks to nearly 50 radiocarbon dates and the application of Bayesian statistical modeling, we were able to reconstruct the site’s history with unprecedented chronological precision,” says Schulz Paulsson.
Audrey Blanchard (Archeodonum) and Jean Noel Guyodo, University of Nantes during the excavation of Le Plasker. Credit: Bettina Schulz Paulsson
The acidic soils of the Morbihan region pose a significant challenge for archaeological studies, as they typically hinder the preservation of organic materials, such as bone. This limitation has historically restricted the use of radiocarbon dating in the area. Additionally, establishing a direct link between dated charcoal samples and the construction of standing stones is often unfeasible. Alternative methods, such as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, often yield results that lack the precision necessary to draw definitive conclusions.
“However, with a sufficiently large dataset and Bayesian modeling, this challenge was overcome,” Schulz Paulsson explains.
Several alignments of standing stones have been dated to between 4600 and 4300 cal BC. Although the stones themselves have been removed, either in historical times or prehistory, their foundation pits still exist. These pits were positioned alongside hearths or cooking pits, indicating that the stone lines might have been constructed in conjunction with fire-related features. The specific purpose of these hearths—whether for lighting, cooking, or feasting during the erection of the stones—remains uncertain. Ongoing analyses of sediments and stone fragments aim to provide further insights.
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Additionally, the site uncovered a monumental early tomb dating back to around 4700 cal BC. This tomb was constructed directly above the remains of a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer hut, providing valuable insights into the site’s historical significance and usage over time.
The study was published in Antiquity
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
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