A Neolithic tomb confronts demolition for a parking lot, and is saved

The Men-Maria dolmen, situated in Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, France, is a Neolithic relic dating back thousands of years. It was classified as a historical monument in 1969, but its existence was put at risk in 1972 when plans for a parking lot on the port threatened to destroy it completely. The Men-Maria dolmen was saved in 1978 through a salvage excavation of the site. The dolmen is a type of tomb with a short corridor, oriented southwest/northeast.

The corridor is slightly misaligned towards the southwest. The chamber, slightly trapezoidal, measures approximately 6.20 meters in length. The northern eastern part of the chamber has a well-preserved slab floor, while only a few traces remain in the southern eastern part. During the 1978 excavation, a rich archaeological collection was found. The collection included typical Armorican vases with a Chasséen facade, globular vases, lithic tools (a retouched blade, an arrowhead frame in the shape of a lozenge, numerous flakes) and bone remains (two barbs made from pastenague ray spines).

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons