Global Treasures: Carnac

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1170

UPC: 879061007699

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

The megaliths of Carnac, in Brittany, are stone relics that are thousands of years old and date back to the middle of the Neolithic period. Four long avenues of mighty stone known as "alignments" extend across eight kilometres of scenic terrain.

The Kerzerho Stones are one of the most splendid alignments in Carnac. They consist of more than 1100 stones and cover an area of almost two kilometres. But what significance did this formation have with its Neolithic creators and how were they able to transport these massive stones? The stones will probably never reveal their secrets, but many historians and archaeologists believe that they were connected with some kind of religious belief.

The area around Carnac also contains numerous intriguing Dolmen, a series of vertical stones that support a large slab, a kind of stone table. Along the northern border of Plouharnel Village, there is a fine example of this unique construction that dates back to the Stone Age, the Dolmen of Rondonssec.

The large number of Dolmen indicates that the region was once not only of great astronomical importance but was also used as a burial site. It is not known who was buried here, but they may have been tribal and religious leaders as well as those who had made an important contribution to the well-being of the tribe.

For several centuries, the tranquil and mysterious atmosphere of this place has fascinated all those who have experienced it. The megaliths of Carnac are masterpieces of prehistoric architecture and grand monuments that have survived time itself.