Alignements de Lagatjar

Alignments de Lagatjar are close to the town of Crozon (Breton: Kraozon) on the Presque Ile De Crozon. This is in the Finistère (Breton : Penn-ar-Bed) department. In the west of the Crozon peninsula near the village of Cameret-Sur-Mer  (Breton: Kameled) is the pre-historic Alignments de Lagatjar. They are on open common land close to the road. Mainly aligned into three lines, of which the longest is about 203 metres. However, there are some outlier stones as well. There are approximately 60 to 70, mostly quartz, stones remaining. It has been said that the stones are thought to date to 2,500BC.

It is important to note that many more stones existed on the site. Even as many as about 700 were still there in the 18th century. A number were taken over the years to be used for other purposes. Some restoration took place in 1928 with fallen stones raised again. As with other such ancient monuments we do not know and are unlikely to ever really understand the belief systems of the people that created them. Megalithic monuments were not placed in a random way but were large ceremonial complexes constructed for specific purposes. We can deduce that astronomical alignments, both solar and lunar, were important factors in the positioning of these remarkable structures. Later communities gave their own meaning to the monuments. Consequently, as might be expected, these structures formed an important part of Celtic mythology and folklore.

Images: Photographs of Alignments de Lagatjar taken by Transceltic.

Links: Brittany Tourisme Walking on the Crozon Peninsula and also Camaret-ser-Mer and Crozon.