France > French History > Prehistoric France > Neolithic era
Neolithic man - Prehistoric France
Across much of France there is then evidence of Neolithic man, from about 4,000 BC onwards. The great advance was that Neolithic man learned to construct dwellings for himself - mostly of wood, but later also of stone. This enabled a suitable location to be chosen and settled, crops to be grown and animals reared for food.
Carnac, Brittany
The largest concentration of evidence of these Neolithic settlements in France is found in Brittany. Initially it was the village tomb that was built of stone, then stone huts were built in the vicinity. Carnac in Brittany has fine examples of standing stones and burial mounds from this period.
One of the most interesting Neolithic finds was at Cerny, near Paris. Aerial photography of the region identified features on the ground that remained invisible at ground level, including burial mounds and long ditches. These subsequently were shown to contain human remains from the Neolithic period, and the 'aerial photo' technique has subsequently proved effective elsewhere at identifying these ancient civilisations.
Another incredible Neolithic find is at lakes Chalain and Clairvaux in the Jura region. Due to flooding, some houses and other tools etc have been preserved under water for several thousand years. Unfortunately they have to remain in the water, so can't be visited.
This new approach to living allowed Neolithic man to live further than before from immediate sources of food. So rather than being forced to occupy fertile lowlands, it was now possible to move higher up hills and further from food supplies. This was a great step forward in the colonisation of France (and the same elsewhere) and the spread of mankind as a whole.
Visiting and seeing Neolithic Remains
Morbihan, in Brittany, is the best place in France to see neolithic remains, megaliths and standing stones. Visit Carnac, Locmariaquer, Gavrinis et Petit-Mont d’Arzon.
