<< Our Photo Pages >> Île Carn cairn - Chambered Cairn in France in Bretagne:Finistère (29)
Submitted by TheCaptain on Tuesday, 24 January 2023 Page Views: 10581
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Île Carn cairn Alternative Name: cairn a 3 dolmens, Dolmens de l'Île-Carn, Enez KarnCountry: France Département: Bretagne:Finistère (29) Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: Ploudalmézeau Nearest Village: Île Carn
Latitude: 48.575100N Longitude: 4.6925W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
43559959 Twistytwirly PAB church-grim Chrus Martin_L trylondm would like to visit
rrmoser visited on 8th Jun 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 amazing corbeled domes 3 and a teardrop arch stunning
TheCaptain visited on 16th Apr 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3 Just offshore from the bay of Porsguen in the community of Ploudalmézou at the northwestern point of Finisterre, Brittany, lies a small island, which can be walked to at low tide from the mainland. A large part of this small island is made up of a massive and remarkable round cairn which contains three dolmenic chambers. The outer round cairn is about 30 metres in diameter, and perhaps still almost 10m in height. It seems to have only been recognised that an ancient cairn was here in the late 19th century, which was further recognised by others in the early 20th century, with a description of 1925 mentioning the presence of an anthropomorphic stele, 1.75m in height.
During the course of the second world war, construction of a lookout post and gun battery on the island broke through into the monument and revealed the presence of the southern chamber. During the following ten years degradation of the monument became rapid, accelerated by clandestine excavations, until in 1954 a rescue plan was put into place under the direction of P-R Giot. Following an interruption, further excavations occurred between 1964 and 1967, which showed that the construction was made using local materials, mostly granite stones with occasional use of megalithic slabs. Several phases of construction were revealed.
The initial construction was a circular chamber of diameter approx 3.5 metres with an entrance passageway from one side of the chamber thus making a q shape, leading in from the southeast. The structure is all of dry stone walling technique except for the entrance passage which is covered with megalithic slabs. The chamber is roofed with a circular corbelled structure which remains intact to this day. Drystone walling had been used to block off the chamber at both extremities of the passageway. The whole of this was enclosed in a circular cairn. Carbon dating has been used to suggest the structure dates back to as long as 4700BC.
The second construction was the addition of a second chamber to the south, with a rectangular plan, and long entrance passageway approx 5 metres in length to the southeast. Carbon dating has been used to suggest this structure dates back to perhaps 4500BC.
Further construction followed with the addition of a third tomb to the northern side of the first, within which are two conjoined chambers, the southern of which is perhaps double the size of the northern, which has a couple of large megalithic slabs used in its construction. Dating of this structure has been used to show a possible date of as far back as 3900 BC or more recently of 2000BC, suggesting a possible long term use of this particular structure.
Following these three cairns, a fourth stage of construction was to possibly make a single large rectangular cairn covering the three adjacent structures. This was then probably followed by a fifth construction stage of an approximately 30 metre diameter circular structure with a facing wall, up to a metre in height surrounding the whole thing, and this blocking off all three chambers.
Within the central chamber were found several small vases and other crescent shaped items which have become eponymously named in the Carn style, along with several pearls and flint tools. The southern chamber revealed more pots including a single small vase of just 5cm diameter, but of similar styling, whilst the northern chamber revealed a splendid 10cm diameter flask and some fine polished flint items, and some fragments of red ochre.
Fabulous
TheCaptain saw from a distance on 20th Jun 2005 - their rating: Access: 2 Just offshore is this little island which can be reached a low tide, with a massive cairn containing three dolmenic chambers. There are also some WW2 gun emplacements and lookouts which spoil it a bit. The cairn is massive, and looks like its been quarried into, and from the shore the entry to one of the chambers can be seen. Its a pity I cannot get out to have a look. Should I borrow a boat ?
neolithique02 have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 5 Access: 2.67
IMPORTANT NOTE: Beware the tidal situation when visiting this site, as passage between shore and island is impossible when the tide is not out.
The outer round cairn is about 30 metres in diameter, and perhaps still almost 10m in height. It seems to have only been recognised that an ancient cairn was here in the late 19th century, which was further recognised by others in the early 20th century, with a description of 1925 mentioning the presence of an anthropomorphic stele, 1.75m in height.
During the course of the second world war, construction of a lookout post and gun battery on the island broke through into the monument and revealed the presence of the southern chamber. During the following ten years degradation of the monument became rapid, accelerated by clandestine excavations, until in 1954 a rescue plan was put into place under the direction of P-R Giot. Following an interruption, further excavations occurred between 1964 and 1967, which showed that the construction was made using local materials, mostly granite stones with occasional use of megalithic slabs. Several phases of construction were revealed.
The initial construction was a circular chamber of diameter approx 3.5 metres with an entrance passageway from one side of the chamber thus making a q shape, leading in from the southeast. The structure is all of dry stone walling technique except for the entrance passage which is covered with megalithic slabs. The chamber is roofed with a circular corbelled structure which remains intact to this day. Drystone walling had been used to block off the chamber at both extremities of the passageway. The whole of this was enclosed in a circular cairn. Carbon dating has been used to suggest the structure dates back to as long as 4700BC.
The second construction was the addition of a second chamber to the south, with a rectangular plan, and long entrance passageway approx 5 metres in length to the southeast. Carbon dating has been used to suggest this structure dates back to perhaps 4500BC.
Further construction followed with the addition of a third tomb to the northern side of the first, within which are two conjoined chambers, the southern of which is perhaps double the size of the northern, which has a couple of large megalithic slabs used in its construction. Dating of this structure has been used to show a possible date of as far back as 3900 BC or more recently of 2000BC, suggesting a possible long term use of this particular structure.
Following these three cairns, a fourth stage of construction was to possibly make a single large rectangular cairn covering the three adjacent structures. This was then probably followed by a fifth construction stage of an approximately 30 metre diameter circular structure with a facing wall, up to a metre in height surrounding the whole thing, and this blocking off all three chambers.
Within the central chamber were found several small vases and other crescent shaped items which have become eponymously named in the Carn style, along with several pearls and flint tools. The southern chamber revealed more pots including a single small vase of just 5cm diameter, but of similar styling, whilst the northern chamber revealed a splendid 10cm diameter flask and some fine polished flint items, and some fragments of red ochre.
There are some remnants of WW2 gun emplacements and lookouts on the island which spoil it a bit.
If the tide is in, then the cairn and one of its entrances can be seen from the mainland. Beware the tidal situation when visiting this site, as passage between shore and island is impossible when the tide is not out.
Martyn/TheCaptain writes: After failing to get to this remarkable 6500 year old site during my 2005 tour de France due to the tidal situation, this is one site I have really wanted to revisit. At last, after almost 9 years, I have paid pilgrimage to this island, and it was well worth the wait and effort. Mindblowing.
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