The civilization of the megaliths
The very first traces of human presence on armorican ground date back to the Paleolithic age, but it's the Neolithic that is considered the golden age of the megalith civilization from 5000 to 2000 B.C. Older than the Egyptian pyramids, dolmens are probably collective burial places. There are still great mysteries about this period of Brittany's history that archeologists are trying to see through.
The Roman conquest
From the VIIIth century on, the celts, coming from the Central European plains, settle down in the region. The Armorican peninsula is composed by five cities probably dominated by the Veneti. From 58 to 52, Caesar conquers Gaul. The Veneti fleet is struck down in 56. From 52 on, the Gallo-Roman civilization is set up.
The great invasions
The Roman domination sets up until the Germanic invasions in the Vth century. Between the IVth and the VIth century, breton populations settle down in Armoric, that then becomes the small Brittany. The Bretons adopt an original social organization based on parishes, the “plou”, “plé” or “plu” followed by a common noun or a proper noun. Monasteries are created, the “lan” (like Lannion). Nouns ending on “ac” name those villages that were already lived-in when the Bretons arrived, but that have been subject to their influence.
