The Carnac Stones
Thousands of standing stones march in long rows across the fields of Brittany. Legend says they are Roman soldiers turned to stone.
What was reported
Around the village of Carnac in Brittany, more than 3,000 standing stones stand in long, straight rows stretching for kilometres, along with stone circles and burial mounds. They were raised by Neolithic people between about 4500 and 3300 BCE.
A local legend says they were a Roman army pursuing Saint Cornelius, who turned them to stone, which is why they stand in such perfect ranks.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists agree the stones were set up by Neolithic farming communities, but why remains debated: suggestions include ceremonies, marking territory, honouring ancestors or tracking the sun and seasons. It is one of the largest groups of standing stones in the world.
- When
- Raised about 6,000 years ago
- Where
- Carnac, Brittany, France
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and visitors
- Status
- Purpose debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.