Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex
Middle Neolithic (4500-3500 BCE)·Atlantic Neolithic·🇫🇷 Brittany, Morbihan, France
About
About Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex
Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex in Brittany, Morbihan, France is a Middle Neolithic (4500-3500 BCE) tumulus attributed to Atlantic Neolithic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal citadel 7 × 2 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 47.5743N -3.0650E controls access to Brittany, Morbihan resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey tumulus for Brittany, Morbihan, illustrating Atlantic Neolithic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology and phasing of construction episodes
- 02Function in regional settlement hierarchy
Theories
- 01Ancestral burial reuse over centuries
- 02Astronomical alignment hypothesis
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 BCE
- Period
- Middle Neolithic (4500-3500 BCE)
- Culture
- Atlantic Neolithic
- Purpose
- Burial mound with chamber and cairn kerb
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 4000 BCE
Initial construction of Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex main structure
c. 503 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex
1994–2013
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
47.5743° N · 3.0650° W · 40 m · 3 mapped features
Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex — Main Tumulus Feature
templePrimary temple at Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex — platform mound with stratified deposits
47.5731° N · 3.0665° WTumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex — Secondary Enclosure
chamberAncillary chamber at Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex — enclosure wall with stratified deposits
47.5745° N · 3.0659° WTumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex — Outlier Rock Art Panel
cairnOutlier cairn panel linked to Tumulus Saint-Michel Annex Cist South — Northern Annex ceremonial landscape
47.5737° N · 3.0633° W