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<< Our Photo Pages >> Petit Mont - Chambered Tomb in France in Bretagne:Morbihan (56)

Submitted by AlexHunger on Monday, 03 January 2005  Page Views: 10000

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Petit Mont
Country: France Département: Bretagne:Morbihan (56) Type: Chambered Tomb
Nearest Town: Vannes  Nearest Village: Arzon
Latitude: 47.536600N  Longitude: 2.9021W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 5

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markj99 visited on 15th Sep 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 It is only 6 euros to access the Cairn de Petit Mont. Given the size and quality of the site that is good value. It includes a group tour in French of the Cairn & Dolmen 3a, which is off limits without a tour guide. I requested some English commentary and the guide was obliging enough to give me a short lecture in English in the chamber. I was also able to take photos.

w650marion visited on 25th Sep 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Enjoyable visit despite driving rain, due to excellent English tour booklet and time to reflect.

johnstone visited on 28th Jun 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

TheCaptain visited on 10th Jun 2005 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 2 This enormous cairn, built between 4600 and 2500 BC is on a headland jutting into the sea to the south of the Arzon peninsular. The whole headland is now owned by the local government, and is undergoing major restoration work. The cairn is now well fenced off, and visits were closed for the day when I arrived, so the best I could do was to look at it from a few places through the fence. There were two large chambers within it originally, with lots of decorations of various types. The whole cairn was much modified by the Germans in 1943 as a part of the Atlantic wall defenses, and concrete bunkers were built within the cairn. These concrete bunkers are being kept, as a valid part of the cairns history and re use.

X-Ice visited on 20th Aug 1982 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 2

regina have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.2 Ambience: 3.4 Access: 3.5

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by AlexHunger : Petit Mont in Arzon, dating to about 4600 BCE at the earliest, is one of the most significant Cairns in Britany, but unfortunately one of the most brutaly vandalized. In 1942, German troops built a bunker and Flak emplacement into the South East Corner of the cairn, which compeltely destroyed one of the chambers and caused the collapse of the second one pictured above, which has since been restor... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Dating to about 4600 BCE at the earliest, this is one of the most significant Cairns in Brittany, but unfortunately one of the most brutally vandalized. In 1942, German troops built a bunker and Flak emplacement into the South East Corner of the cairn, which completely destroyed one of the chambers and caused the collapse of the second on, which has since been restored.

The megalithic entrance is sought to be an addition from Gallo-Roman times.

All pictures have been taken in such a way to avoid showing the WWII additions. As there is always a silver lining in every cloud, the Bunker now houses small exhibits, has a great view point on the roof and allowed opening a previously unknown third chamber, which is remarkably well preserved. With all the commotion, the site is unfortunately completely dead for dowsing purposes and has no atmosphere. Nevertheless, Petit Mont should be thought off as in the same class as Gavrinis and Newgrange.

Base Mérimée (Historic Monument)
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Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by AlexHunger : Petit Mont from the south West side. This side is slightly less high than on the East Side, which had the entrances. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by regina : Total view of Dolmen Petit Mont. It is not nice with the bunker, but it is how it looks now. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by karolus : Site in Bretagne:Morbihan (56) France (Vote or comment on this photo)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by JJ : Aerial photo copyright JJ Evendon (Vote or comment on this photo)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by markj99 : Cairn de Petit Mont viewed from North-East.(15.09.23) (5 comments)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by karolus : Site in Bretagne:Morbihan (56) France

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by johnstone : The entrance of dolmen 4, ruined by the bunker, June 28, 2012

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by regina : Petit Mont

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by johnstone : The entrance of the blockhouse in the cairn, June 28, 2012

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by greywether : Two more decorated stones in the main chamber. (1 comment)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by greywether : Looking E out of the chamber with "sun" figure on the right. (The stone to its left also has "wavy line" art less clear at the foot of the stone.)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by AlexHunger : Petit Mont in Arzon. North Side. Note the stepped shape. There is an other small tumulus in the corner. near the tree.

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by w650marion : The feet are not Neolithic! Probably Gallo-Roman. (2 comments)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by w650marion : Petit Mont with it's long and varied history showing!

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by karolus : The mound to the left of the picture is from the original long mound before the cairn was constructed.

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by markj99 : Chamber 2 (West) of Cairn de Petit Mont. (15.09.23)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by markj99 : Passage of Chamber 2 (West) of Cairn de Petit Mont. (15.09.23)

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by w650marion : The engraved ceiling slab in chamber 2 (a reused stele, as in other dolmen). We were not going to photograph, but then saw the French guide/group allowing mobile phone photos.

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by w650marion : The engraved ceiling slab over the passage is just visible. Note the large 4.2m chamber floor slab has an intriguing "tongue" which enters the passage.

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by karolus : Passageway leading from the bunker to the interior chamber of Dolmen 2.

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by johnstone : Information panel for the 2 dolmens, June 28, 2012

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by johnstone : Close up of the entrance dolmen 4, June 28, 2012

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by regina : Petit Mont

Petit Mont
Petit Mont submitted by regina : Petit Mont

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"Petit Mont" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: Directions to Petit Mont by markj99 on Wednesday, 27 September 2023
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Directions to Cairn de Petit Mont: Take the signed turn from the central roundabout in Arzon onto Rue de Lenn Vihan. Follow this road for c. 1.4 km to reach a car park for Cairn de Petit Mont. A path starts in the SW corner of the car park. Follow this path SW for 240m. Turn left and walk 50m to the entrance of the Cairn de Petit Mont.
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Re: Petit Mont by markj99 on Wednesday, 27 September 2023
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Visited 15.09.23

Cairn de Petit Mont is a large pentagonal cairn perched on a headland South-West of Arzon in Morbihan. The elevated position has extensive sea views and enables the cairn to be seen from afar. The unusual shape of the cairn, which currently measures 55m long by 55m wide, may be a result of its multi-phase construction. According to the tour booklet a mound covering a closed chamber (Chamber 1) was constructed in c. 4600 BC. The mound measured 50m x 19m x 1.6m. A stone cairn, measuring 22m long and 12m wide was erected over the mound c. 100 years later. 700 years later a chambered cairn with one accessible chamber (Chamber 2) was built over the original cairn. After another 1100 years a fourth phase of building occurred in 2700 BC. The cairn was modified and extended. Chamber 2 was blocked off and Chamber 3a and 3b were built, accessed by passages from the East side of the new cairn.

Unfortunately, this was not the final modification of Cairn de Petit Mont. Due to its strategic position on the coast Hitler order the construction of a concrete bunker within the cairn in 1943. The bunker was built in the SE side of the cairn. This modification completely destroyed Chamber 3b and partially destroyed the passages of Chamber 2 and Chamber 3a. The cairn was neglected until 1979 when archaeological excavations resulted in the final phase of modifications, completed in 1989. As a result Chamber 3a and its passage were restored. We also have access to Chamber 2 via the Bunker. The facades of the cairn were modified into a series of 3 steps with a flat roof.

It is only 6 euros to access the Cairn de Petit Mont. Given the size and quality of the site that is good value. It includes a group tour in French of the Cairn & Dolmen 3a, which is off limits without a tour guide. I requested some English commentary and the guide was obliging enough to give me a short lecture in English in the chamber. I was also able to take photos.
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Re: Petit Mont by w650marion on Thursday, 10 October 2019
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Petit Mont Cairn has a fascinating history.
1. 4600 BC Starting with a mound of earth 50m long, 19m wide and 1.6 m high. containing a closed burial.

2. 4500 BC A dry stone cairn covered the mound 22m long and 12m wide.

3. 3800 BC A second cairn was built over the first, with a passage and chamber that is now accessible via the bunker. It has a fascinating arrangement of stones and carvings. The floor slab is 4.2 m wide and has a "tongue" which points into the passage. This passage has a carved ceiling slab which is considered to be a reused stele.

4. 2700 BC The third cairn covers the previous one, preventing access to the first chamber. Two new passages and chambers are built, one of which was destroyed by the bunker, although it's entrance can be seen on the outside. The surviving dolmen has portico entrance stones (appearance possibly changed in the Iron age). A 9m passage leads to carved stones. Some are Neolithic carvings but the feet and wheel are considered to be Gallo-Roman.

5. In the fourth century AD (Gallo-Roman) Petit Mont was a cult site. An altar and hundreds of broken votive pieces of Venus statuettes have been found at the dolmen entrance . Some are on display in Carnac museum.

6. 1943 the German army built a bunker with 2m thick concrete walls to hold 20 soldiers.

7. 1989 saw the completion of the restoration of the monument. A decision was taken to give the exterior a stepped appearance. This is the current thinking in France, and many similar monuments have this.

The visit to the site (and the additional information in Carnac Museum of Prehistory) was particularly interesting. Heavy rains and cloud prevented us seeing the incredible views of the coastline and contemplating the battle of the Morbihan Gulf (56 BC) when a Roman fleet raised by Julius Caesar destroyed the fleet of the Veneti tribe.
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Petit Mont Street View by SteveDut on Friday, 14 May 2010
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Not a point winner but at least you know where the entrance is


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