Carnac stones

The Carnac stones (Breton: Steudadoù Karnag) are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites around the village of Carnac in Brittany, consisting of alignments, dolmens, tumuli and single menhirs. More than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany, and form the largest such collection in the world. Most of the stones are within the Breton village of Carnac, but some to the east are within La Trinité-sur-Mer. The stones were erected at some stage during the Neolithic period, probably around 3300 BCE, but some may date to as early as 4500 BCE.

Astro-alignments

In their upright positions, the Carnac stones were placed in accordance with archeoastronomy using mathematics equivalent to the Pythagorean theorem. Their precise alignments have prompted myths about being influenced or constructed by extraterrestrials. However, archaeological sites such as Göbekli Tepe, and the ziggurats of Mesopotamia are challenging mainstream historians to reconsider early human intelligence. Such finds are showing that humans, even up to 10,000 years ago, have been utilizing complicated mathematics. Much of what has been attributed to the Greeks in the history books, is really to be owed the Sumerian civilization, and possibly even pre-civilizations.

Present situation

In recent centuries, many of the Carnac sites have been neglected, with reports of dolmens being used as sheep shelters, chicken sheds or even ovens. Even more commonly, stones have been removed to make way for roads, or as building materials. The continuing management of the sites remains a controversial topic.