Broken Menhir of Er Grah

The Broken Menhir of Er Grah is an ancient megalith in Locmariaquer, Brittany. Erected around 4700 BC, at the same time as another 18 blocks nearby, it is thought to have been broken around 4000 BC. The monument is the largest known single block of stone to have been transported and erected by Neolithic man.

Measuring 20.60m, with a weight of 280 tonnes, the stone is from a rocky outcrop located several kilometres away from Locmariaquer. The impressive dimensions of this menhir still divide specialists about the techniques used for transport and erection, but the fact that this was achieved during the Neolithic era remains remarkable.

Worked over its entire surface, the monument bears a sculpture representing a "hatchet-plough". Unfortunately today this is seriously eroded and very difficult to see.

Destruction

It is not known what caused the menhir to topple and break into the four pieces that are now to be seen. At one time it was believed that the stone had never stood upright, but archaeological findings have proved that it did. The most popular theory is that the stone was deliberately pulled down and broken. Certainly other menhirs that accompanied it were removed and reused in the construction of tombs and dolmens nearby. However, in recent years, some archaeologists have favoured the explanation of an earthquake or tremor, and this theory is supported by a computer model.

Bibliography

* Charles-Tanguy Le Roux, Éric Gaumé, Yannick Lecerf, Jean-Yves Tinevez, "Monuments mégalithiques à Locmariaquer (Morbihan): Le long tumulus d'Er Grah dans son environnement", CNRS éditions, 2007, ISBN2-2710-6490-2