France demolishes 7,000-year-old monument for DIY store

Authorities claimed the tourist attraction has little “archaeological value”

Dozens of ancient standing stones in southwest France have been bulldozed to make room for a retail outlet for a nationwide DIY chain, triggering uproar.

The historic Montauban site in Occitania held at least 39 megalithic stones, some estimated to be around 7,000 years old. Local archaeologist Christian Obeltz told media this week that the site “has been destroyed,” .

The French commune of Carnac is famous for thousands of so-called menhirs – standing stones erected by neolithic people for purposes that remain a mystery. However, unlike the area’s main tourist attractions of Menec, Kermario and Kerlescan, which are on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites – the set of stones in Montauban, just 1.5 kilometers away, has little historic value, according to local officials.

Here’s a Carnac tourist map I had which shows how close Montauban (mid right) is to some of the visible megalithic alignments. There may well be more buried that we don’t know about https://t.co/xH48SYX8EZ pic.twitter.com/2pv3WU4zIR

— The Megalithic Portal Ancient Sites & Stones (@megportal) June 10, 2023

“Given the uncertain and in any case insignificant character of the remains, as revealed by checks, damage to a site of archaeological value has not been established,” the Regional Office of Cultural Affairs for Brittany told AFP news agency in a statement.

39 #menhirs vieux de plus de 7000 ans détruits en catimini à #Carnac pour construire un magasin de Mr. Bricolage : c'était bien la peine d'aller au Mont-#Saint-Michel.
Pauvre patrimoine français !
La marchandisation du monde prépare l'homme sans souvenirs. pic.twitter.com/XqbLDN9EQ6

— Philippe de Villiers (@PhdeVilliers) June 7, 2023

The local mayor has insisted that he “followed the law,” and that the construction permit was granted last August only after archaeologists had conducted the required studies.

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However, Obeltz claimed there were no “archaeological excavations in order to know if the stones were menhirs or not.” He also accused local authorities of rushing to greenlight the development before activists had finished applying for UNESCO protection.

The popular French retail chain Mr Bricolage, which offers home improvement goods, is currently building a new store at the site. Its spokesperson said the company “sincerely regrets” the incident, but reiterated that authorities granted them full authorization to proceed.