THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vou. XXII. JULY, 1888. No. 259 
MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS OF BRITTANY. 
BY THOMAS WILSON. _ 
pe term megalithic has been recognized in France as applying 
to the unhewn stone monuments erected by man in prehistoric 
The ancient province of Brittany consisted of the area comprising 
the present five departments in the northwest corner of France: 
Finistère, Côtes du Nord, Ille et Vilaine, Morbihan, and Loire 
Inférièure. This province is exceedingly rich in megalithic monu- 
ments—in some respects it is the richest in the world. 
The man of the paleolithic period does not seem to have occupied 
this part of France. In only two places have any of his imple- 
ments or utensils been found, and these are on the extreme eastern 
edge of the province. However, that is of little moment in the 
Present discussion, for the prehistoric man of that age having made 
no Monuments, left none. 
1€ occupation of Brittany by prehistoric man began in the 
Neolithic age or age of polished stone called by M. de Mortillet 
Rebenhausen, after the station of that name in Lake Pfaffikon, near 
oe Switzerland. This was in the present geologic epoch and 
e man 18 supposed to be of our day. 
Shek 18 Supposed to have come to this country from a more or less 
és: 0 ‘le and to have wrought a revolution in the civilization of 
ck paleolithic man who had preceded him. He brought with him 
oS of agriculture and of grazing. He was not nomadic. 
a government or some sort of organized society. He had 
