Megalithic art inside Gavrinis Neolithic (c 3500BC) passage grave, Morbihan, Brittany, France. A passage of decorated orthostats leads to a chamber.
Megalithic art inside Gavrinis Neolithic (c 3500BC) passage grave, Morbihan, Brittany, France. A 12m passage of decorated orthostats leads to a rectangular chamber: passage stones (R-L) R3, R4 & R5 etc. looking NNW towards chamber with a decorated sillstone. Stone R4 is decorated with sets of concentric U-shapes (boxed U's) with vertical serpentiforms upper L. R5 consists of parallel curved lines (bottom), & a set of 10 boxed U's with horizontal zigzags above. Other motifs in the passage & chamber include yokes, fir-tree patterns, shepherds' crooks, triangular stone axeheads, bucklers/shields, rectangular 'figurines', parallel lines with chevrons (arrow heads?), serpent shapes, horizontal lines, concentric curves & arcs. The passage faces SE incorporating alignments to the midwinter sunrise & major southern moonrise. The chamber & passage lay undisturbed until 1872, there are no records of any burials or cremations being found. The length of the passage (longest in Brittany) & quality of construction & decoration suggest a complex ritual structure rather than a simple tomb.
Size: 3554px × 4763px
Location: Gavrinis Passage Grave, Larmor-Baden, Locmariaquer, Morbihan, Brittany, France
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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