Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension
Early Neolithic (4500-3800 BCE)·Atlantic Neolithic·🇫🇷 Brittany, Finistere, France
About
About Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension
Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension 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 citadel 8 × 3 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 48.6577N -3.8598E 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
- 01Scale of population vs agricultural catchment
- 02Ritual vs domestic use
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 — Southern Extension main structure
c. 913 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension
1986–2022
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
48.6577° N · 3.8598° W · 34 m · 3 mapped features
Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension — Main Megalithic Feature
enclosurePrimary enclosure at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension — platform mound with stratified deposits
48.6592° N · 3.8613° WCairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension — Secondary Enclosure
rock artAncillary rock art at Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension — burial gallery with stratified deposits
48.6571° N · 3.8587° WCairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension — Outlier Rock Art Panel
hydraulicOutlier hydraulic panel linked to Cairn de Barnenez Chamber D Annex — Southern Extension ceremonial landscape
48.6572° N · 3.8594° W