Art & Architecture
article | Reading time2 min
Be amazed by the engravings inside the Table des Marchands cairn!
The Merchants' Table under the magnifying glass
Our ancestors, these engraving artists
Discovering the engravings on the Merchants' Table is an intense experience. They still give rise to many questions and interpretations, and have not yet revealed all their secrets... Will you be able to recognise them?
A table of remarkable symmetry
Inside the Merchants' Table, the stela at the back of the burial chamber is one of the most famous in the iconographic repertoire of the European Neolithic . The upright stone, already in place when the dolmen was built, immediately catches the eye.
As well as being ingenious builders, our ancestors were also incredible artists! It features the sign of the crosier in 4 symmetrical registers, all inscribed in a motif that can be found in several other monuments, long known as the " shield idol ". Several symbolic interpretations have been put forward, including a phallic representation or a female anthropomorphic representation, the"mother goddess".
Beyond the interpretation, the unique shape of the stele, the quality of the engraving and the symmetry of the motifs make this a major work of Armorican megalithic art !
Philippe Berthé, Centre des monuments nationaux
A cover slab with well-kept secrets
Look up towards the ceiling, where you can see a large, polished axe and an elongated stick! Near the latter, you can make out the damaged lines of an animal (which could be a goat according to the latest hypotheses of archaeologist Serge Cassen), but you can still make out the two front legs, the neck and the head. The original block broke off at the back of this animal.
So where is the missing part with the animal's horns? Head for the island of Gavrinis! The other part of the original block covers the chamber of the known for its exceptional, well-preserved engravings.
The interpretation of these engravings is not primarily linked to the Merchant Table, but depends above all on their original context. On the fragment discovered at Gavrinis, we see a wild and imposing marine animal, probably a sperm whale, contrasted with a series of objects and animals: an axe, sticks, a bovine and a caprine.
A.Lamoureux - Golfe du Morbihan Vannes tourisme