Dolmen de Mané Lud
Mané Lud Dolmen · Locmariaquer Mané Lud · Grand Mané Lud
Early Neolithic (c.4000–3600 BCE)·Carn / Morbihan Neolithic·🇫🇷 Brittany, Morbihan (Locmariaquer), France
About
About Dolmen de Mané Lud
Major passage dolmen with trapezoidal chamber and long passage, situated in Locmariaquer hillside near Mané Rutual and Er Grah, part of Locmariaquer ensemble. Passage ~10 m leads to large polygonal chamber 5 x 3.5 m with multiple orthostats bearing engraved art: ship-like? motifs, axe-plough, plus schist slabs reused from former menhirs. Built c.4000–3600 BCE. Tumulus partly destroyed but mound trace 40 m extends with forecourt. Excavated 1860s by Galles and Lukis; art parallels Newgrange and Gavrinis. Chamber capstone reuses broken grand menhir segment displaying carved axe, demonstrating Neolithic spolia and stone recycling.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Which grand menhir did Mané Lud capstone derive from — Grand Menhir Brisé or local
- 02Nature of ship/plough engravings — agricultural vs nautical symbolism
Theories
- 01Reused menhir fragments demonstrate ideological termination of earlier standing-stone phase to create passage tomb era
- 02Mané Lud as elite tomb reusing sacred stone to legitimise new burial rite
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 4000–3600 BCE; capstone reused from broken Grand Menhir
- Period
- Early Neolithic (c.4000–3600 BCE)
- Culture
- Carn / Morbihan Neolithic
- Purpose
- Elite passage dolmen with reused menhir art and collective burial
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 4000–3600 BCE; capstone reused from broken Grand Menhir
Initial construction
c. 1461 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
47.5647° N · 2.9489° W · 12 m · 3 mapped features
10 m Passage
passage10 m orthostat passage leading to large chamber
47.5647° N · 2.9490° WTrapezoidal Chamber with capstone axe
chamber5 x 3.5 m chamber with capstone bearing engraved axe, reused grand menhir fragment
47.5647° N · 2.9489° WDismantled Tumulus and forecourt
tumulus40 m mound trace with shallow forecourt depression north of entrance
47.5648° N · 2.9490° W
Gallery