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

Submitted by AlexHunger on Monday, 03 January 2005  Page Views: 8623

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Tumiac tumulus Alternative Name: Butte de César, Monument Mégalithique de Tumiac
Country: France Département: Bretagne:Morbihan (56) Type: Chambered Tomb
Nearest Town: Vannes  Nearest Village: Arzon
Latitude: 47.541100N  Longitude: 2.8721W
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: 3 Access: 4 I stumbled across Tumiac Tumulus while waiting for the Petit Mont Cairn to open; Mad dogs and Scotsmen go out in the midday sun. I saw the mound on the horizon and experienced the usual gravitational attraction. A path to Tumiac Tumulus is conveniently located in a lay-by on the E edge of Arzon in a long straight on the D780. The site is closed to the public, a relatively common state of affairs in my experience, so I contented myself with a distant view.

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

TheCaptain visited on 10th Jun 2005 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4 As driving towards this from the east, it suddenly appears from behind something, before you arrive at the parking area and information sign beside the road. Whoooa, it’s a biggun ! It is said in legend that it is the place from where Caesar watched a great naval battle out to sea to the south of here, but there is not expected to be any truth in this, although from the top there is a tremendous view all around. The mound is 86 metres in diameter and 20 metres in height, but it only has a single 4 metre by 2 metre magalithic chamber within it, which has been dated to 4700 BC. The insides of the monument are no longer open to public viewing.

Jimwithnoname visited - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 4



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 3.25 Access: 4

Tumiac tumulus
Tumiac tumulus submitted by AlexHunger : Tumulus de Tumiac, otherwise known as Butte De Cesar is the first noticeable site on the southerly Presqu’ile de Rhuys, on the way to Arzon. No serious attempt has been to date this large pile of rocks, but it is largely in the state it was in 2050 years ago, when it was first mentioned. Gaius Julius Ceasar allegedly used it as a command post, from which to survey troop movements and fleets whil... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Tumulus de Tumiac, otherwise known as Butte De Cesar is the first noticeable site on the southerly Presqu’ile de Rhuys, on the way to Arzon in Morbihan

No serious attempt has been to date this large pile of rocks, but it is largely in the state it was in 2050 years ago, when it was first mentioned. Gaius Julius Ceasar allegedly used it as a command post, from which to survey troop movements and fleets while concluding the Gallic wars but it predates his appearance by over 2,000 years. This is a somewhat fanciful explanation, as the deciding battle with the local Venetes tribe was a naval engagement, observation of which the tumulus is not suited for on account of distance to either shores, even if it was at least 2 meter higher at the time.

If anything, Tumiac is one of the last nearly undisturbed cairns in the area, and possibly still contains a chamber. Leaving it as is has the advantage of allowing more modern research techniques to mature and concentrating resources for the conservation of other sites. More advanced technology may lead to less invasive archeology.

Care should be taken while approaching this site on the D780, as the sign for the parking lot is at the exact entrance of the parking lot, not a little before so that you can slow down.

Base Mérimée (Historic Monument)
**That's weird, in 1923 they thought it was a fortress of the middle ages!
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Tumiac tumulus
Tumiac tumulus submitted by theCaptain : Whoooa, it’s a biggun ! As driving towards this from the east, it suddenly appears from behind something. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tumiac tumulus
Tumiac tumulus submitted by theCaptain : The mound is 86 metres in diameter and 20 metres in height, but it only has a single 4 metre by 2 metre magalithic chamber within it, which has been dated to 4700 BC. The insides of the monument are no longer open to public viewing. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tumiac tumulus
Tumiac tumulus submitted by durhamnature : Stone necklaces found in the tumulus, from "Archaeologia Cambrensis" via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tumiac tumulus
Tumiac tumulus submitted by theCaptain : Information from the noticeboard. (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
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 3.6km WNW 300° Bilgroix Point Menhir* Modern Stone Circle etc
 3.9km E 93° Dolmen du Vondre* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 3.9km NNW 330° Gavrinis Cairn* Cairn
 4.0km NW 317° Île Longue tumulus* Chambered Tomb
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"Tumiac tumulus" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Tumiac tumulus by markj99 on Tuesday, 26 September 2023
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I stumbled across Tumiac Tumulus on 15.09.23 while waiting for the Petit Mont Cairn to open; Mad dogs and Scotsmen go out in the midday sun. I saw the mound on the horizon and experienced the usual gravitational attraction. A path to Tumiac Tumulus is conveniently located in a lay-by on the E edge of Arzon in a long straight on the D780. The site is closed to the public, a relatively common state of affairs in my experience, so I contented myself with a distant view.
[ Reply to This ]

Monumental Memories, The lives of prehistoric monuments in later Europe by Andy B on Tuesday, 06 June 2017
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Vejby examines the re-use of megalithic tombs in Brittany during the Roman period. She focuses on the presence of Venus statuettes at a subset of tombs around the Gulf of Morbihan, including one known as ‘La Butte de Cesar’ (local legend holds that Caesar viewed his decisive naval victory over the Veneti in 56 BC from its summit).

Vejby draws together the strands of evidence to propose that Roman-period votive offerings at megalithic tombs close to the location of the battle may have connected themes of victory and defeat through the figure of Caesar and his descent from Venus. This is all temptingly plausible, although discussion of exactly who might have been responsible—‘Romans’ or ‘local Gauls’—and what motivated them moves into more difficult and less convincing territory.

Review of Monumental Memories, The lives of prehistoric monuments in Iron Age, Roman, and Medieval Europe, Oxford 2015

https://www.academia.edu/33338253/
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Re: Tumiac tumulus by Martin_L on Thursday, 14 June 2012
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An article in English (and French) dealing with this type of sites http://www.jungsteinsite.uni-kiel.de/2010_MSG/Cassen_MSG_2010_low.pdf
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Re: Tumiac tumulus by TheCaptain on Thursday, 14 June 2012
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My notes from Friday 10 June 2005:

As driving towards this from the east, it suddenly appears from behind something, before you arrive at the parking area and information sign beside the road.

Whoooa, it’s a biggun !

It is said in legend that it is the place where Caesar watched a great naval battle from, out to sea to the south of here, but there is not expected to be any truth in this, although from the top there is a tremendous view all around.

The mound is 86 metres in diameter and 20 metres in height, but it only has a single 4 metre by 2 metre magalithic chamber within it, which has been dated to 4700 BC. The insides of the monument are no longer open to public viewing.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Tumiac tumulus by TheCaptain on Wednesday, 13 June 2012
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see here on streetview

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Re: Tumiac tumulus by Anonymous on Saturday, 06 June 2009
I have bicycled there and plan to again this summer. It is reasonable difficult to see much from it's summit, but it does stand eerily alone within the short cropped tree forest surrounding the area. I believe it to be roped off, again, to keep partiers off during the evenings. There is a single entrance, blocked.
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