A Recently Discovered 4,000-Year-Old Slab Of Stone In France Turned Out To Be A Treasure Map That Could Help Locate Lost Monuments

Photo 63606834 - © Michal Bednarek - Dreamstime.com -  illustrative purposes only
Photo 63606834 - © Michal Bednarek - Dreamstime.com - illustrative purposes only

Recently, researchers in northwestern France have been examining a Bronze Age rock with mysterious markings, hoping that the 4,000-year-old slab of stone may help lead them to the discovery of other ancient hidden secrets.

At first glance, the stone just looks like a piece of rock etched with strange, nonsensical inscriptions. But as it turns out, this “Saint-Belec slab” could actually be a treasure map.

The Saint-Belec slab was first discovered in 1900 during a dig at an archaeological site in France. However, the historian who found it was not aware of its significance.

In 2014, Yvan Pailler, a professor at the University of Western Brittany, and his colleague, Clement Nicolas, rediscovered the artifact, which had been stored in a museum for all this time.

They began to take a closer look at the engravings and found that the symbols on the stone represented a map that referred to an area spanning about eighteen by thirteen miles.

Researchers believe the region that the map alludes to was once an ancient kingdom. They plan to survey the entire area before more exploration can be completed. However, the whole process will take over fifteen years.

The expanse includes the mountains of Roudouallec, in the Brittany region of France. Archaeologists were also able to determine that some of the lines and bumps carved onto the rock symbolized rivers. The small indents on the map are thought to indicate certain burial mounds or dwellings.

When they compared the ancient map with modern ones, it resulted in an eight percent match. Experts hope to use the stone to locate lost monuments.

Using a treasure map to find artifacts is a new approach that has not yet been taken in this day and age.

Photo 63606834 – © Michal Bednarek – Dreamstime.com – illustrative purposes only

With the availability of modern technology, archaeologists usually employ tools such as aerial photography and radar equipment to search for artifacts.

Before going off to explore additional sites, researchers are focusing on the territory where the slab was originally found to try and get a better idea of its background. So far, they have unearthed fragments of the slab that have broken off over time.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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