Tour 05 - Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast Tour

This is, by far, my most popular tour. 

One of the "holy grails" of archaeological research is the decoding of ancient messages preserved in rock art and, here in Brittany, there are lots of them if you know where to look.

  

From the carved interior of the magnificent Gavrinis tomb in the Gulf of Morbihan, to barely discernible "cup marks" on rural menhirs, the prehistoric inhabitants of the region left messages in the stone. These carvings, or petroglyphs must have had meanings that where clearly understood by people of the day but those meanings have been lost to us

 

Our tour of a short section of Brittany's stunning "pink granite coast" takes in five sites with preserved carvings clearly visible at two of them.

Hidden away inside ancient burial chambers, we invite you to get on your hands and knees to get "up close and personal" with some of these petroglyphs, which are up to 5,500 years old.


Some of the carvings are easy to spot, but we'll help you to search out many of the others.

We will end our tour with a short visit to a site which displays the importance some of these monuments have retained over thousands of years and the roll that rock art continues to play even in our own times.

To enjoy this tour you will need to be mobile and not worried about getting mucky, (especially if it's wet). Although you will not be walking any significant distances we recommend some decent walking shoes for grip when it's slippy, and some waterproofs (just in case). To fully appreciate the visible carvings it is necessary to enter some restricted spaces. Please also be aware that two of the sites are alongside some relatively busy roads.


If you would be interested in taking this tour please  contact us with details of when you would like to visit, and the size of your party. We'll then get back to you with further information and pricing details.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tour prices

Image
  Please note that discounts apply for group bookings making these tours even better value for money. If you would like to guarantee an exclusive tour (i.e. only YOUR party taking part) please refer to the private group prices which apply for private groups of any size up to a maximum of 9 guests. Timetrails 2023 price list (per person) - Child discounts are available (please ask for details). Tour 1 or 2 pers 3 to 5 6 to 9   Private Group (maximum of 9 guests) Meneac Markers   €   45.00   €   40.50   €   36.00   €             155.00 Guerledan Heights   €   45.00   €   40.50   €   36.00   €             155.00 Locmine Loop   €   55.00   €   49.50   €   44.00   €              205.00 St Just   €   55.00   €   49.50   €   44.00   €              205.00 Pink Granite Coast   €   55.00   €   49.50   €   44.00   €              205.00     
Read more

Where do we go and how can you book?

Image
If you'd like to learn more about each of the tours we offer, simply go to the menu on the left and browse through each of our tours. You'll find pricing information at the bottom of each page. If you have any questions just use the contact form or email us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. With summer now in full swing (finally), our tours are getting lots of interest. Here are two of our guests enjoying the last site on our Meneac Markers tours this week.
Read more

What is Timetrails?

Image
Timetrails is run by a qualified archaeologist who gives guided, self-drive tours of many ancient and mysterious sites in central Brittany. All tours are conducted in English and they focus on sites dating from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. Depending on the tours you chose, you will visit Menhirs (standing stones), Cromlechs (stone circles) and several types of ancient burial monument known collectively as Dolmens. Your guide will explain about the lives of people in Brittany up to 6,000 years ago, highlighting their ingenuity and skill as they constructed monuments which demonstrate a deep understanding of engineering, the land, the seasons and the skies above them. At some sites you'll see enigmatic carvings which tempt us to speculate on the beliefs of prehistoric communities and you'll be amazed at some of their achievements. These tours are a unique experience for small groups, offering unrivalled access to an expert guide who will be happy to answer (or at
Read more