French prosecutors open investigation into destruction of Carnac's prehistoric stones

The public prosecutor for the Lorient area in western France has opened an investigation into the alleged destruction of 39 prehistoric stones in Carnac according to French news site 20 minutes.

READ MORE: Prehistoric standing stones in western France destroyed during construction of DIY store

Following a complaint that was filed by a Breton association called Koun Breizh against the 'wilful destruction of archaeological heritage', the investigation may help to determine the circumstances surrounding the building authorisation for the Mr Bricolage DIY store. 

The stones' destruction has caused outcry both inside and outside of France. After extreme right pundit Éric Zemmour shared a video lamenting the stones' destruction the town's mayor, Olivier Lepick, was placed under police protection due to the volume of abuse he had received.

The original controversy

The controversy began when amateur archaeologist and researcher Christian Obeltz, who runs the "Sites & Monuments" website, told local paper Ouest France that at least 37 menhirs (standing stones) had been destroyed in the process of building the DIY store, and that one had been in its position since before 5,000 BC. 

Obeltz noted that the site at Montaubin - which is over one kilometre away from the well-known tourist sites of Ménec and Kermario where over 3,000 standing stones are located - had been included on the list of the prehistoric sites near Carnac to be included in an application for UNESCO World Heritage status in September, according to reporting by Ouest France.

Ouest France also alleged that other archeologists they had contacted did believe the site had archeological significance, citing another report that had been produced about the site in 2015. 

Raising doubts

However, since the story has been published doubt have been raised over the exact value of the site.

It stands at the edge of the Carnac site, part of a designated industrial zone, and any ancient stones present are fallen, half buried or covered in vegetation.

The DRAC, the French government body that classifies areas as protected cultural or historic zones, suggested in a press release that it may have only been four stones ‘with archaeological value’ that were lost in the construction. 

The DRAC said that though the site had been investigated in 2015, it was not listed on the new zoning document as protected historical land. While there was some uncertainty around whether four stones could have been over 1,000 years old, others appeared to be younger, less worn and instead use to build a low wall.

In their statement, the DRAC concluded that "given the currently unclear and in any case non-major nature of the remains as revealed by the diagnosis, damage to a site of archaeological value has not been established".

As for the mayor, Lepick defended himself and the commune, saying that he had consulted the most recent local zoning documentation, and based on his understanding, he approved construction in an area that had already been deemed as 'commercial'.

He told Ouest France that it was likely an "administrative error had occurred", but this was not the fault of the commune who had followed the proper channels for issuing a building permit.

These arguments will likely form the basis of the prosecutor's investigation.