Carnac stones

The Carnac stones are a large group of prehistoric standing stones, stone rows, and other megalithic monuments near Carnac in Brittany, France.

Ménec alignments: A major Carnac stone-row complex with eleven converging rows and more than a thousand standing stones. Its long, converging rows form one of the best-known parts of the site.
Neolithic: The later part of the Stone Age, when farming spread and communities built permanent settlements. Most Carnac monuments belong to this broad period of prehistoric construction.
Menhir: A prehistoric upright stone erected as a monument, either alone or as part of a larger arrangement. Carnac’s rows are composed chiefly of these upright stones.
Archaeological interpretation: The process of using material evidence to develop and assess accounts of past human activity. Carnac’s remains support competing interpretations that must be tested against evidence.
French heritage law: The body of French law governing the protection and management of cultural heritage. Legal protections guide how Carnac’s monuments and surrounding land are managed.
Kermario alignments: A Carnac stone-row complex featuring long parallel rows and a large stone known as the Giant of Manio. Its rows and conspicuous menhir show the variety of Carnac’s alignments.
Megalithic culture: The prehistoric tradition of building monuments with large stones, found in many regions and periods. Carnac belongs to a wider tradition of monumental stone construction.
Stone row: A linear arrangement of standing stones, sometimes extending across a landscape in parallel rows. This monument form defines Carnac’s most extensive alignments.
Archaeoastronomy: The study of how past societies understood and used astronomical phenomena. Proposed celestial alignments at Carnac require careful testing rather than assumption.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A place recognized under the World Heritage Convention for outstanding universal value. World Heritage recognition has been sought for the Carnac megalithic landscape.

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