It looked like just another stone slab.

But when French archaeologist Paul du Châtellier unearthed it from a burial mound in Brittany in 1900, he had no idea what he’d found.

Set aside and forgotten for over a century, the engraved slab sat quietly in the basement of the Château de Kernuz, an imposing 19th-century mansion in western Brittany that now serves as a museum—until researchers rediscovered it in 2014 and realized what it truly was: the oldest known map in Europe.

Now known as the Saint-Bélec slab, it dates back to the early Bronze Age (circa 2150–1600 BCE) and may hold the key to a long-lost kingdom.

Measuring approximately 7.2 feet by 5 feet, the slab is engraved with geometric patterns—lines, circles, and squares—that researchers believe represent the Odet River valley's topography, including its tributaries, settlements, and field systems.

Advanced 3D analyses have revealed that the engravings correspond with remarkable accuracy to the local geography, suggesting the slab served as a territorial map for a then-existing political entity.

Originally forming part of a cist burial structure, the slab was repurposed as a tomb wall, possibly symbolizing the end of the political entity it once represented.

Its rediscovery has provided archaeologists with a unique tool: a map that may lead to previously unknown ancient sites.

Recent excavations have uncovered additional fragments of the slab, further aiding in the reconstruction of the map and the identification of new archaeological sites in the region.

The Saint-Bélec slab is more than an ancient map; it's a gateway to understanding a complex and hierarchical society that existed in western Brittany during the Bronze Age.

The slab's detailed engravings suggest a society with advanced knowledge of land management and territorial organization.

As archaeologists continue to study the slab and its surroundings, they hope to uncover more about this lost kingdom and its people.

Until next time,

Emails From Afar Team

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