Barnenez was originally dated to 4,800 BC but that was questioned—more reliable radiocarbon dates now place its construction between 4,850 and 4,250 BC (first phase) and 4,450 to 4,000 BC (second phase), making it one of Europe's oldest megalithic monuments 🔬
Barnenez Dating Controversy and Chronology
FranceExcavation
Key facts
- Original dating of 4,800 BC has been questioned because the charcoal used could have come from elsewhere
- More reliable dates for Barnenez are approximately 4,300 to 4,100 BC
- Barnenez contains 11 separate passage tombs (A through J, with G and G1)
- The eastern end is older than the western end
- Tomb construction involved different styles: megalithic (orthostats) and dry stone walling
- Typology-based dating is considered unreliable as construction styles could be aesthetic choices or depend on available materials
- A Spanish team recently studied passage grave H and found carvings indicating stones may have been reused from other monuments
Site mentioned
Sources
Barnenez cairn in Finistère: guide and history - Slow Villageslow-village.com
The Barnenez cairnhas all the characteristics of megalithic constructions dating from the beginning of sedentarization, particularly in ...
Barnenez | Encyclopedia.comencyclopedia.com
Although some initial radiocarbon dates among a long series, when recalibrated, suggested that the Barnenez tombs were built very early in the fifth millennium ...
This French Neolithic Site Is One Of The Oldest Man-Made ...thetravel.com
It is believed that the Cairn of Barnenez was built in two phases. The first phase was circa 4850 BC to 4250 BC and then the second phase was ...
Barnenez - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Radiocarbon dates indicate that the first phase of the monument was erected between 4850 and 4250 BC, and the second phase between 4450 and 4000 BC. ... place ...
History of the Barnenez cairnbarnenez.fr
The great Barnenez cairn is an exceptional megalithic monument erected almost 6,000 years ago during the Neolithic period, a period of recent prehistory ...
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