Morbihan: Carnac menhirs soon to be listed by UNESCO?

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Between these 7,000-year-old stone alignments, an imperturbable silence usually reigns. Today, it is interrupted by the strange screeching of wheels. This strange cart records the magnetic variations of the terrain, enough to unearth traces of Neolithic works. "We could find ancient menhirs lying down and buried underground. We have approximately 25 to 50% of menhirs disappeared within the alignments. So, we only see half of the site," explains Guillaume Bruniaux, geophysics engineer, CNRS team.

The origin and symbolic significance of the Carnac menhirs (Morbihan) are still poorly understood. And this CNRS team is among the only ones conducting research today. But with UNESCO recognition, interest in the site could be revived. "We also protect sites by continuing to accumulate knowledge about them. It is in this sense that UNESCO is careful to ensure that it does not become a frozen element on which nothing more happens," says Olivier Agogué, administrator of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux for the Carnac site.

The Carnac alignments alone attract 700,000 visitors a year. For some, it's a discovery during a beach holiday. But some French-Americans heard about them at school: "My teacher explained to me that these are very ancient wonders of the world. No one knows why they did that. It's a mystery. And I find it fascinating," comments a young tourist. "These sites aren't very popular in the United States. You really have to be an expert. But I'm going to tell all my friends that they have to come here," adds an American vacationer, captivated by her visit.

So, should we fear an influx of tourists who would spoil the site? As early as the 1960s, news reports were already raising concerns about some unscrupulous visitors. The site has since been surrounded by barriers and a marked trail. The only visitors allowed are those accompanied by a guide, or the sheep that maintain the vegetation. Recently, traffic flow was modified to secure the area around the site. These changes are not to the liking of all residents. One farmer, in particular, now makes a detour of several minutes through the town to access his fields. He signed a petition against these developments. For the mayor, despite the discontent, this work was indeed necessary.

"For many years, we were able to drive in. About ten years ago, we could still go in and climb up onto the megaliths. At the end of the 1980s, many menhirs had fallen, and so we decided that we had to protect them. Just as there is a window on the Mona Lisa, we cannot let this priceless heritage deteriorate for very long," comments Olivier Lepick, mayor (DVD) of Carnac. The UNESCO recognition recognizes 30 years of work to preserve these stone giants. It remains to better promote other sites in Morbihan, sometimes less well-known to the general public.