Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex
Early Neolithic (4500-3800 BCE)·Atlantic Neolithic·🇫🇷 Brittany, Finistere, France
About
About Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex
Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex in Brittany, Finistere, France is a Early Neolithic (4500-3800 BCE) megalithic attributed to Atlantic Neolithic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal enclosure 3 × 5 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 48.6531N -3.8521E controls access to Brittany, Finistere resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey megalithic for Brittany, Finistere, illustrating Atlantic Neolithic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction labor organization
- 02Chronology and phasing
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. 4200 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic (4500-3800 BCE)
- Culture
- Atlantic Neolithic
- Purpose
- Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 4200 BCE
Initial construction of Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex main structure
c. 1448 BCE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex
2005–2023
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
48.6531° N · 3.8521° W · 42 m · 3 mapped features
Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Main Megalithic Feature
dromosPrimary dromos at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — platform mound with stratified deposits
48.6529° N · 3.8536° WCairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Secondary Enclosure
structureAncillary structure at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits
48.6536° N · 3.8503° WCairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Outlier Rock Art Panel
enclosureOutlier enclosure panel linked to Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex ceremonial landscape
48.6522° N · 3.8520° W