Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. They are found worldwide, but more than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically from Sweden in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south.[1]
The word was first used in 1849 by the British antiquarian Algernon Herbert in reference to Stonehenge[2][3] and derives from Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas), meaning "great", and λίθος (líthos), meaning "stone". Most extant megaliths were erected between the Neolithic period (although earlier Mesolithic examples are known) through the Chalcolithic period and into the Bronze Age.[4]
Types and definitions
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While "megalith" is often used to describe a single piece of stone, it also can be used to denote one or more rocks hewn in definite shapes for special purposes.[6] It has been used to describe structures built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods.[citation needed] The most widely known megaliths are not tombs.[7]
Single stones
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- Menhir
- Menhir is the name used in Western Europe for a single upright stone erected in prehistoric times; sometimes called a "standing stone".[8]
- Monolith
- A monolith is any single standing stone erected in prehistoric times.[9]
- Capstone style
- Single megaliths placed horizontally, often over burial chambers, without the use of support stones.[10]
Multiple stones
[edit]- Alignments
- Multiple megaliths placed in relation to each other with intention. Often placed in rows or spirals. Some alignments, such as the Carnac Stones in Brittany, France, consist of thousands of stones.
- Megalithic walls
- Also called Cyclopean walls[11]
- Stone circles
- In most languages stone circles are called "cromlechs" (a word in the Welsh language); the word "cromlech" is sometimes used with that meaning in English.
- Dolmen
- A dolmen is a stone table, consisting of a wide stone supported by several other stones[12] Usually these were originally covered with earth and vegetation to form a mound with an accessible chamber beneath.
- Cist
- A cist is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Burials are megalithic forms very similar to dolmens in structure. These types of burials were completely underground.[citation needed]
Timeline
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Neolithic
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- c. 9000 BC: Constructions in Asia Minor, Turkey (Göbekli Tepe, Nevalı Çori and other sites); a yet to be named culture (the oldest discovered ceremonial structures in the world).[13][14]
- c. 7400 BC: A 12 m long monolith probably weighing around 15,000 kg found submerged 40 m under water in the Strait of Sicily south-west of Sicily. Its origin and purpose are unknown.[15]
- c. 7000 BC: Construction in proto-Canaanite Israel (Atlit Yam).
- c. 6000 BC: Constructions in Portugal (