Moorgate menhir

Date Added: 18th Sep 2010
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 3rd Apr 2005

Log Text: None

Morrel das Fadas

Trip No.200  Entry No.62  Date Added: 18th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 13th Aug 2000. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Day out from Toulouse to explore Minerve ancient village, Rock tunnels, Morrel das Fadas, St Eugene. On a little hill covered in pines to the south of the D52 road to the northeast of Carcassonne is found the remains of this teriffic allée couverte, the hill of the fairies, said to be the largest in southern France.

Morrel das Fadas

Trip No.205  Entry No.104  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Although within the commune of Pépieux, this tremendous dolmen is actually nearer and easier to find from the village of Siran, from where you take the D.12 road east for a kilometre or so, and the mound is on the right, on top of a large natural pine covered hill amongst the vines. It is all rather obvious, and has a little parking area and signpost.

By far the biggest dolmen structure in the south of France, I cannot say how much of the hillock it is built on is natural, and how much is its tumulus, but nevertheless, it is a big structure. The chamber itself is 24 metres in length and up to 4 metres wide, aligned towards the southeast at 145°. This chamber is divided into three sections by lovely partitioned portal stones. The back section is rectangular, 4.5 metres long and 4 metres wide. The marvellous central section is 6.5 metres long, with massive side slab walls 2,5 metres high, which carry the single remaining large capstone (about 5m by 3.5m) well above head height.

Unfortunately the portal stones each side of this central chamber are broken, but enough remains to get a good feel for what was once here, as one of the stones of the southeastern portal is almost complete. The 13 metres of entranceway is made with alternating slabs and dry stone walling, and narrows down to about 2 metres wide at the entrance. This really is a fantastic place to visit, but difficult to photograph because of its size and all the surrounding trees.

Morrel das Fadas

Trip No.205  Entry No.106  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Visited again to get some pictures in the bright morning sun, although the sun doesn’t make it through the trees.

Morrel das Fadas replica

Trip No.205  Entry No.105  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc Country: France (Languedoc:Aude (11))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: A small representation of the dolmen des Fades has been built near the roundabout outside the campsite at Pepieux. Excellent.

Mougau Bihan

Trip No.203  Entry No.542  Date Added: 2nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Finistère (29))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This is an absolutely splendid allée couverte, which has been dated to 3000BC, found a couple of kilometres to the south of the village of Commana, and signposted from there. It has a little car park and picnic area, as well as a nice and spacious grassy area around it.

The main chamber is 14 metres in length and oriented approximately north to south, with its entrance at the northern end. The southern end has an extra small chamber, the "cella", the two parts being divided by a splendid "chevet" stone. The roof is made of five large capstones, four on the main chamber, and one on the cella. The internal width and height are about 1.5 metres.

But the best thing about this monument is all the ornamental engravings on the internal faces of the stones. About half of the side slabs have engravings on them which are fairly clear to make out. Most of these engravings are what are called "palettes", some stones having several of these of various designs next to each other. One of the stones has two pairs of the double hemispheres on it - these have been largely interpreted as pairs of breasts. The closing stone between the two chambers has a palette and also a wonderful polished axe, contained within its "crosse", but this is one of the least clear engravings, being much more weatherworn than some which have been better protected.

Mougau Bihan translates from the Breton language to "Fairies Cave".

Moulin Chevalier Dolmen

Trip No.203  Entry No.20  Date Added: 1st Apr 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I am not quite sure what to make of this. It is either a fairly undisturbed dolmen still well contained within its mound or else it is a bit of a wreck ! The mound is about 8 metres by 4 metres and is found down a little track left at the edge of a field but there are no signposts. There is possibly a second mound close by.

Moulin du Motte

Trip No.203  Entry No.27  Date Added: 1st Apr 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Loire-Atlantique)
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3

Log Text: Nearby to the east of the tumulus des Mousseaux are the remains of two more burial mounds of which remains can be seen in various gardens in the vicinity. The large tumulus du Moulin du Motte is these days hardly visible behind a large garden wall and some new holiday homes but a bit further to the west down the lane some large stones can be clearly seen in a garden. These are the remains of the Trois Squelettes tombs three chambers which were once covered by a single large mound.

Moulin-de-Louat 1 statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.130  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: This wonderful chap is stood looking out of his garden shed towards the stream, at the entry to the hamlet of Moulin-de-Louat, just over half a kilometre from Moulin-Mage. I gave up trying to get the van along the roads to the hamlet, and walked from Moulin-Mage.

The stone is about 1.5 metres tall, and made from a very pink coloured rock. This chap has all the decorations and more that a statue-menhir should have, as it has both male and female attributes. The markings are very clear, and can easily be made out. The face has eyes, nose and tattous, with what also looks like hair to the sides. He has arms with fingers, an axe and bow, a belt with chevrons and buckle (which goes all the way round the back) and legs with toes. However, it also has breasts, probably added later, and the "hair" is probably the necklaces of the female. Round the back, not only is there the belt, but the long hat and shoulder things can be seen. This is really superb.

Just nearby, for company, is another nice stone, of about the same size, but a greyish black rock. I am unsure whether this is an ancient menhir or just a modern addition. It's a nice stone though, and probably keeps our man company.

Moulin-de-Louat 2 statue-menhir

Trip No.205  Entry No.131  Date Added: 10th Nov 2020
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Just nearby, for company, is another nice stone, of about the same size, but a greyish black rock. I am unsure whether this is an ancient menhir or just a modern addition. It's a nice stone though, and probably keeps our man company.

Mousse Dolmen 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.110  Date Added: 9th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Languedoc:Hérault (34))
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Sep 2005

Log Text: Taking the track further beyond the Grand dolmen de Lauriol, and after eight or nine hundred metres the first dolmen de Mousse is supposedly to be found, just to the left of the track. However, much of the land round here has been recently fenced off and I could find nothing obvious amongst the prickly scrub and undergrowth. Two hundred metres further, to the right and 40 metres from the track is a second then third dolmen. I had no chance of finding these, although I did find the dry limestone chasm known as the Combe des Mortes, named as such because of the numbers of dolmens here ! Almost anything in this broken limestone landscape could have been a dolmen at some time in the past, but it is extremely difficult to find a way about here other than the trackway because of the vicious scrub growing over everything. After an hour or so vain searching about I decided I could spend no more time here finding nothing, and decided to return to the van and move on.

Moustoir tumulus

Trip No.203  Entry No.375  Date Added: 11th May 2020
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 12th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: This massive great mound, 90 metres in length, 40 metres wide and 8 metres high, can be found just to the south of the hamlet of Moustoir, a few kilometres to the north of Carnac. The mound is aligned roughly Northeast to Southwest, and has a small menhir on the top at the eastern end, and a larger one at the bottom of the western end.

The menhir on the top of the tumulus is about 2.1 metres high and quite slender, and of a sort of circular section. The menhir at the western end is 3.3 metres high, quite thin and a nice pointed triangular shape.

Towards the western end of the mound is an entrance in the southern side, which after a short passage opens up into a 5 metre by 2.5 metre chamber, with a large capstone and some reinforced concrete. The walls are a mix of large slabs and drystone walling. You need a good torch to see your way around.

There is more to this tumulus, as on the top of the mound near the eastern menhir can be seen a reinforced steel cover to something, indicating that there may be another chamber inside, for which I could find no entry. As for the majority of the monuments around here, this is all terribly overgrown, and difficult to properly make out what is here.

Murat-sur-Vèbre Centre d'Interprétation

Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Tarn (81))
Visited: Yes on 12th May 2009

Log Text: None

Musée de Lespugue

Trip No.205  Entry No.43  Date Added: 21st Oct 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Haute-Garonne (31))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 5th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 5

Log Text: In the central square of the little village of Lespugue is a museum, which, as many European museums are, is closed on a Monday. This museum has an exhibition of 35,000 years of Lespugue. Outside the museum in a little grassy park is a 10 times lifesize copy of the Venus de Lespugue, a pregnant woman figure dated to 33,000BC, carved from a mammouth tusk which was found in a cave just below the village.

Musée de Mas-d'Azil

Trip No.205  Entry No.73  Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 5

Log Text: In the village of Mas d'Azil is the natural history museum. Its in a nicely kept building just off the main village square, opposite the roofed market place right outside the church. As it was late in the day I didn’t go in. I think that if you do the caves tour, the museum visit is included for free.

Musée de Préhistoire (Aurignac)

Trip No.205  Entry No.42  Date Added: 21st Oct 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Haute-Garonne (31))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 5th Sep 2005

Log Text: In the centre of Aurignac village is the prehistory museum, with all sorts of finds and items found in the local caves. It is situated underneath a little village square with parking available. However, when I visited, it was closed, with a notice stating that it had been closed in May 2004 by the Mairie, for an indefinite period. I have no idea why.

Musée des Sciences Naturelles et de Préhistoire

Trip No.204  Entry No.254  Date Added: 9th Sep 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Centre:Eure-et-Loire (28))
Visited: Couldn't find on 7th Aug 2005

Log Text: The picture I have seen of the Maison de l'Archaeologie has a dolmen in the front yard, so I go for a look. But it's moved ! I found where the museum was, but its now a private residence. I have no way of knowing where to, so this must go down as the first museum I have failed to find ! Wonder what happened to the dolmen in the yard outside the museum when it moved.

Musée des Tumulus de Bougon

Trip No.204  Entry No.133  Date Added: 15th Aug 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Poitou:Deux-Sèvres (79))
Visited: Yes on 19th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: I don't really know where to start except to say that it's not far from the town of St-Maixent-l'Ecole, and signposted for miles around. It was about €4 to get in, and this includes everything. I spent more than three hours here, and went back the next day for more, as it had shut before I had finished seeing everythng I wanted to, so it was good value. With lots of parking and disabled access, the museum is built within the archaeological remains of an ancient priory, itself an interesting place to visit. The displays within the museum show with various visual aids time from the creation of the universe, but concentrate here on the late stone age, when man settled down from nomadic hunter-gatherer to become builder and farmer, and all the associated crafts. There are the usual maps and collection of tools, but there was also an interesting display of ancient megalithic art, showing some lovely copies of engraved stones, including several of which I have now seen for myself earlier on this trip, and some of which I did not know for sure were real megalithic art, for example the crosse at the dolmen where the odd German couple were, and the protruding "legs" at the tomb where I had met the old collector man in his van. This megalithic art display culminates in a full size reconstruction of the Gavrinis internal chamber. I thought I had seen these stones somewhere before ! Upstairs, there is a room for temporary exhibitions, and this had an exhibition of Woman in Art - "Femmes Déesses". There was a wonderful collection of items and photographs of woman, with comparisons of modern art to prehistoric art. I must go back and buy the book if there is one. There were some fantastic items on display, with reproductions of Brassempuy, Willendorf, Lespugue, St Sernin etc, right up to Dali and Picasso. This display was well worth the entry fee on its own. Outside there are displays of dolmen building, a 40 metre long longhouse based on archaeological finds, Souray sheep, ancient plants..... Everything. This is the best museum of ancient stuff I have been to. Then there are the ancient tombs themselves, of which there are basically 5 tumulus mounds, all of different types, and all close together, which can be visited on a meandering walk around the grounds. This is a must visit place.

Musée Fenaille

Trip No.203  Entry No.183  Date Added: 19th Apr 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Yes on 29th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: This magnificent museum is found in the old city of Rodez, inside a beautiful old building which is as much part of the museum as all the collections of items within it. The museum is perhaps best known for its superb collection of statue menhirs, extremely well presented on the top floor, but there is much more besides.

Musée National de Préhistoire

Trip No.203  Entry No.78  Date Added: 6th Apr 2020
Site Type: Museum Country: France (Aquitaine:Dordogne (24))
Visited: Yes on 19th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Access 4

Log Text: Recently completely rebuilt this is one of the must sees of the area. There are loads and loads of tools and lots of videos of people making and using them. On the second floor there are some nice finds and again more tools. I thought that there were too many tools on display and not enough other things it seemed to be an ancient tool museum rather than a complete prehistory museum but then again I guess that they are all we have to see. But there's nothing much from the bronze age onwards nothing at all concerning megalithic structures which was a bit of a shame. There was however one representation of a very early burial found nearby where the body of a girl was found in what it called a “proto-dolmen” where the body was placed in a stone lined cist and covered by two large stones.

I have to admit I was expecting better such as more artwork statuettes explanation of how the paintings were done etc but it was an enjoyable couple of hours before it shut for lunch. I did however buy myself a little replica of the Dame de Brassempouy a 25000 year old babe to keep me company on my travels round these ancient sites.