A cluster of ancient neolithic standing stones in France were bulldozed to make way for a DIY store

Mia Jankowicz
Updated ·2 min read
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A file image of a line of around five standing stones, in warm sunlight, at Menec, Carnac, Western France.
File image of standing stones in Menec, Carnac, western France.Galivel F/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

  • 39 ancient monoliths were swept away from a site in France to make room for a DIY store.

  • The stones, thought to date back 7,000 years, are in a region famed for its standing stones.

  • Amid an uproar, local officials attributed the decision to a mix-up in zoning rules.

There is uproar in western France after what are believed to be 39 ancient standing stones were removed from a site to make way for a DIY store.

Local archaeologist Christian Obeltz estimated the stones, at the rural site of Montaubin, go back at least 7,000 years, making them some of the oldest in the region, Ouest-France reported.

Despite this, a planning application for a store from the Mr Bricolage chain — a nationwide outlet selling DIY products — was approved, according to local officials. The stones have now been moved.

Montaubin is on the edge of the Carnac region of France famed for its menhirs, or ancient standing stones. They are thought to have been put up by neolithic people for purposes that remain a mystery.

The nearby tourist sites of Ménec, Kermario, and Kerlescan, which collectively hold around 3,000 ancient stones, are carefully managed.

But at Montaubin, an apparent lack of coordination between municipal authorities over the status of the site led to the stones being swept away.

The site had been listed as part of a UNESCO world heritage application, The Local reported. However, local planning regulations were not updated to reflect that, per the outlet.

A statement released by the Brittany Cultural Affairs Office said that studies had been conducted there and the land had been designated for commercial use.

A building permit was granted in August last year, Agence France-Presse reported. Mayor Olivier Lepick told the outlet that he had "followed the law" and that the site had low archaeological value.

Louise Chaulin, a spokesperson for Mr Bricolage, told Insider that the company "sincerely regrets" the situation but pointed to the permit it received to build its store.

A promotional image inside a Mr Bricolage store, showing an employee from behind, standing in front of rows of DIY equipment
A promotional image inside a Mr Bricolage store.Mr Bricolage

The UNESCO application, if it goes through, will see the sites more closely regulated.

While Lepick attributed the decision to a mistake with the region's complex zoning situation, Obeltz told The Local that he believed it had been fudged in order to allow the development to go ahead before the UNESCO application is formalized.

"Elected officials in the area and the département are in a hurry to build up anything [there] because once it is classified with UNESCO, it won't be possible anymore," he told the outlet.

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