Standing stones in Carnac

Megalithic alignments Le Menec, Kermario or Kerlescan

Standing stones

7000 years old, the megalithic alignments of Carnac are world famous and are one of the most important centres of European prehistory in existence. It may be one of the largest gathering of standing stones of this type in the world. The two main sites (Menec and Kermario) alone account for nearly 3,000 menhirs, and the alignments extend over almost four miles! These structures are to this day surrounded by mystery. The menhirs are a stone army according to legend, or perhaps a place of worship. The dolmens and tumuli are actually individual or collective graves. The alignments probably had a religious significance and the whole site was almost certainly ceremonial and religious in nature.

Museum of Prehistory

One of the grandest sites for megaliths in the entire world, Carnac is also home to a museum with one of the richest prehistoric collections in Europe devoted to the Neolithic peoples, builders of the dolmens and menhirs. The museum presents over 6,000 archaeological artefacts, retracing over 450000 years of history, most of it concerning the period of construction of the megaliths, the Neolithic period (4,900-2,200 BC). Further information on the Museum website: www.museedecarnac.com