Images (13)
Fieldnotes (2)
Miscellaneous (1)

Images

Image of Le Petit Mont (Chambered Cairn) by markj99

Cairn de Petit Mont viewed from North-East. (15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Blocked Entrance of Chamber 3a (East) of Cairn de Petit Mont.(15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Passage of Chamber 3b (North-East) of Cairn de Petit Mont.(15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Carved Stone in Chamber 3b (North-East) of Cairn de Petit Mont.(15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Passage of Chamber 2 (East) of Cairn de Petit Mont.(15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Chamber 2 (West) of Cairn de Petit Mont.(15.09.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Image of Le Petit Mont (Chambered Cairn) by costaexpress

A lot of the internal carvings are believed to have been added at a much later date possibly around 2k years ago

costaexpress May 8, 2018

looking peaceful from the rear, no sign of its wartime intrusion

costaexpress May 8, 2018

There are 2 remaining chambers, one accessed from within the concrete bunker itself and this one with an external entrance and some rather interesting stones discovered during reconstruction

costaexpress May 8, 2018

The Germans built a concrete bunker right in the centre of the cairn completely destroying 1 of the 3 passages and chambers within the cairn. You can see the concrete on the upper right and the blocked off passage also on the right

costaexpress May 8, 2018

1 comment

Image of Le Petit Mont (Chambered Cairn) by Kammer

Taken Summer 1996: Le Petit Mont with it’s strange concrete staircase.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Jul 29, 2007

Taken Summer 1996: Le Petit Mont near Arzon.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Jul 29, 2007

Taken Summer 1996: The ‘roof’ of Le Petit Mont.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Jul 29, 2007

Articles

Le Petit Mont

Chambered Cairn

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Visited 15.09.23

It is only 6 euros to access the Cairn de Petit Mont. Given the size of the site that is good value. It includes a group tour in French of the Cairn & Dolmen 3b, which is off limits without a tour guide. I requested some English commentary and the guide was obliging enough to give me a short lecture in English. I was also able to take photos in Chamber 3b.

Le Petit Mont

Chambered Cairn

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Visited 15.09.23

Cairn de Petit Mont is a large pentagonal cairn perched on a headland South-West of Arzon in Morbihan. The elevated position has extensive sea views and enables the cairn to be seen from afar. The unusual shape of the cairn, which currently measures 55m long by 55m wide, may be a result of its multi-phase construction. According to the tour booklet, a mound covering a closed chamber (Chamber 1) was constructed in c. 4600 BC. The mound measured 50m x 19m x 1.6m. A stone cairn, measuring 22m long and 12m wide was erected over the mound c. 100 years later. 700 years later a chambered cairn with one accessible chamber (Chamber 2) was built over the original cairn. After another 1100 years a fourth phase of building occurred in 2700 BC. The cairn was modified and extended. Chamber 2 was blocked off and Chamber 3a and 3b were built, accessed by passages from the East side of the new cairn.

Unfortunately, this was not the final modification of Cairn de Petit Mont. Due to its strategic position on the coast Hitler order the construction of a concrete bunker within the cairn in 1943. The bunker was built in the S side of the cairn. This modification completely destroyed Chamber 3b and partially destroyed the passages of Chamber 2 and Chamber 3a. The cairn was neglected until 1979 when archaeological excavations resulted in the final phase of modifications, completed in 1989. As a result Chamber 3a and its passage were restored. We also have access to Chamber 2 via the Bunker. The facades of the cairn were modified into a series of 3 steps with a flat roof.

Le Petit Mont

Chambered Cairn

markj99 Sep 27, 2023

Directions to Cairn de Petit Mont: Take the signed turn from the central roundabout in Arzon onto Rue de Lenn Vihan. Follow this road for c. 1.4 km to reach a car park for Cairn de Petit Mont. A path starts in the SW corner of the car park. Follow this path SW for 240m. Turn left and walk 50m to the entrance of the Cairn de Petit Mont.