Page 43 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

INTRODUCING BRIT T AN Y  41

THE HISTORY

OF BRITTANY

Brittany’s long history, no less than its geography, has made it one of the most
distinctive regions of France. It has a strong cultural identity, and, at the westernmost
point of France, it has benefited from its location at the centre of Europe’s Atlantic
seaboard – between land and sea, and between Britain and France.

The borders of Brittany have altered often Britain. This was also a time of stable social
since ancient times. During the prehisto ric organization, when impressive megalithic
period, the coastline was very different monuments were built. Skeletons and
from what it is today. Many sites of human pottery were placed in megalithic tombs
occupation, some of which date back (dolmens), some in the form of burial
500,000 years, have been discovered in chambers approached by a long corridor,
places that are now beneath the sea. consisting of huge blocks of stone covered
During the glaciations of the early by an earth mound. The oldest and most
Quaternary period, the sea level was impressive of these megalithic monuments,
about 30 m (100 ft) lower than it is today. the cairn at Barnenez (see p125), dates
When the glaciers melted, about 10,000 from 4600 BC. No less spectac ular are
years ago, the sea level rose dramatically. the menhirs, that were standing stones
Large areas of land were flooded, creating probably connected to a religion involving
the present coastline, which is indented by astronomy. The most important menhirs
long narrow inlets – or rias – ancient river are those at Carnac (see pp184–5). Some,
valleys flooded by the sea. It may be some like the Giant of Locmariaquer (see p186),
remote memory of this cataclysmic event are as much as 20 m (65 ft) high.
that gave rise to legends about submerged
cities, like the town of Ys. The Celts
In about 500 BC, the peninsula, which was
Megalith-Builders then known as Armorica, or “country near
Traces of human occupation become more the sea”, was invaded by Celts. Five tribes
numerous at the beginning of the Neolithic settled there: the Osismes (in present-day
period, around 5000 BC, when local Finistère), the Veneti (in the Morbihan), the
populations adopted agri culture and a Coriosolites (in the Côtes d’Armor), the
settled way of life. They made axes of Riedones (in the Ille-et-Vilaine), and the
polished granite, which were traded in the Namnetes (in the Loire-Atlantique). The
Rhône valley, in southeastern France, and in Celts, who lived in villages and fortified

Polished jadeite axe
10000 BC Sea levels begin 4000 BC–2000 BC
to rise, flooding sites of Polished stone axes are made,
human habitation at Plussulien and other sites
10000 BC 5000 BC 4000 BC 3000 BC 2000 BC 1000 BC
5000 BC Start of the Neolithic 4600 BC The great burial mound
period. The great megalithic at Barnenez is built
tombs (dolmens) are built and
menhirs erected

The mythical origins of the kingdom of Armorica, from Le Baud’s Chroniques de Bretagne (1480–82)

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