Carnac as War Memorial

The construction of the stone rows at Carnac must have been an enormous effort for the people of the time. Such a feat requires a large tribal group that was able and willing to coordinate its activities. And there must have been an outstanding reason to create such a special structure.

No direct purpose is apparent. There is no resemblance to Stone Age sites such as Stonehenge, which were probably used for celestial observations, or as cult temples. The rows of stones consist of menhirs, which are interpreted as individual burial stelae. This could be a mass grave for several thousand people. Such a number of deaths could only have occurred in a short period of time in the case of an outbreak of an epidemic or a military conflict.

The sight of the rows of stones evokes associations with a military formation. It looks as if several allied armies are facing a common enemy that is expected from the sea. The leaders stand at the head of their armies, symbolized by the large stones. Outstanding warriors can also be found in the middle of the lined up armies, while signalmen are placed on the sides. The rows of stones at Carnac could therefore be a war memorial. Perhaps the rows of stones were intended to commemorate a joint battle of several tribes against an external enemy, and to remind the descendants to maintain and continue their alliance. The stone circles that can be found at some of the ends of the stone rows may have served as meeting and counseling places. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Stone Age monuments of Carnac have been visited and used by people for many generations.

It seems quite plausible that the invader, against whom several armies once joined forces, came from the sea. The culture of farmers and ranchers originated in the Middle East and gradually spread from there. This required the transportation of large quantities of seeds and livestock, which was easier to accomplish by ship than by land, especially since there were no well-developed roads or carts at that time. The rock carvings in Tanum, Sweden, dating back to the Bronze Age (1,800 to 500 B.C.), show numerous depictions of larger ships manned by warriors. Although there is no direct evidence, it seems likely that larger ships existed as early as the Neolithic period, capable of transporting people and goods near the coast and on rivers. It is therefore possible that a military force from the neighboring British Isles or Scandinavia wanted to challenge the land of the tribes settled in Brittany and landed on the coast with an armada. Several tribes formed an alliance to defend their land. After the victorious battle, they wanted to commemorate the many dead and the continuing need for the tribal alliance.