First hand report of the Carnac protests
Submitted by Alex_Peach on Wednesday, 25 September 2002 Page Views: 1246
Neolithic and Bronze AgeCountry: France Département: Bretagne:Morbihan (56)Internal Links:
I was lucky (?! Ed) enough to be camping opposite the Kermario alignments at Carnac during the Menhir Libre protests.
The French have a small version of the Stonehenge free festival in that week - the last week of August - complete with teepees, music and fantastic mussels and chips washed down with cider! A very civilized festival and protest unlike the sometimes violent Free Stonehenge Campaign.
I thought at the time how interesting it was that these important sites are utilized for political projects. The issue of Stonehenge access was arguably as much about class and the establishment's innate hatred of city dwelling youth and alternative lifestyles - as well as a strong sense of keeping the great unwashed out of the countryside.
The election of a more tolerant Labour government (on this issue at least!) 5 years ago led to a change of policy on access to Stonehenge by English Heritage, from which I and others benefited from last Winter and Summer Solstices.
The Breton version is a rather more nationalistic event with Breton independence high on the agenda and the battle of the stones used as a political metaphor for regional struggle against the central hegemony of the French state.
The appropriation of history (or in this case pre-history) by nationalism is well documented. The protest was small with the opportunity to walk around the stones (which was far better than looking over the fence, but there is a tricky conservation issue here).
The protest only actually lasted one day their was a tremendous downpour that night with thunder and lightning that washed them all by the next day. Last June they demonstrated in Paris complete with full-sized stones.
Carnac itself was fantastic and - on the whole - far more impressive than anything I have seen in the UK . The chambered tomb of Gavrinis should be listed as a wonder of the world. It is the most amazing site I have ever visited.
I am in the (slow) process of writing up everything we saw and did (stones related) and am toying with the idea of publishing a web site on this. We are in desperate need for this area to be covered in English. And if you want to combine an overdose of the neolithic with a nice beach holiday in France, this is the place!
The museum of prehistory in Vannes has the most fantastic collection of artifacts from the local dolmens and tumuli. Loads of beautifully constructed stone axes and much more. I have a lot of slides that are now digitized if anyone is interested.
Best wishes,
Dr Alex Peach
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