Scientific committee

Scientific committee

The scientific committee brings together international and French scientists specialising in European megalithism. The committee is chaired by Professor Yves Coppens.

Scientific committee members :

  • Chairman: Yves Coppens, Professor, Collège de France.
  • Vice-chair: Christine Boujot, research engineer, DRAC Bretagne Regional Cultural Affairs Office, UMR 6566 CReAAH
  • Secretary: Yves Menez, Regional Archaeology Curator, DRAC Bretagne 
  • Olivier Agogué, prehistoric archaeologist, administrator for the Carnac, Locmariaquer, and Barnenez sites, Centre des Monuments Nationaux
  • Serge Cassen, research director, CNRS, UMR 6566 CReAAH
  • Luc Laporte, research director, CNRS, UMR 6566 CreAAH
  • Catherine Louboutin, retired general heritage curator specialising in the Neolithic Era
  • Emmanuelle Vigier, heritage conservation officer specialising in the Neolithic Era
  • Niels Andersen, honorary head curator, Moesgaard Museum, professor at the SAXO-Institute, Københavns Universitet (Denmark)
  • Miguel Angel Blas Cortina, Professor of Prehistory, University of Oviedo (Spain)
  • Fernando Carrera Ramírez, Lecturer, Galicia Higher School of Conservation and Restoration and a former director of the School for several years (Spain)
  • Muiris O’Sullivan, Professor emeritus, University College Dublin, specialising in the Boyne Valley megalithic monuments (listed as UNESCO World Heritage) and the Hill of Tara national site (Ireland)
  • Colin Richards, Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Highlands and Islands (United Kingdom)
  • Leonor Rocha, Professor of Archaeology, University of Evora (Portugal)
  • Heather Sebire, heritage curator in charge of development and management of the Stonehenge complex listed as UNESCO World Heritage (United Kingdom)

The committee examines the scientific issues in the application; these are crucial and determining factors in the application. For example, the scientific committee specified the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the megalith landscapes in Carnac and on the shores of the Gulf of Morbihan, and the attributes that make it eligible as World Heritage. It was at the origin of the scientific boundaries of the application: the four large areas used as a basis for determining the scope as it is today.