-
DAYS
-
HOURS
-
MINUTES
-
SECONDS

Engage your visitors!

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Megalith, Avebury, STONE STRUCTURES

Avebury
Avebury, Marlborough SN8 1RF, United Kingdom

A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 structures or arrangements in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.

The word was first used in 1849 by the British antiquarian Algernon Herbert in reference to Stonehenge and derives from the Ancient Greek words “mega” for great and “lithos” for 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.

Types and definitions
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. It has been used to describe structures built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods. The most widely known megaliths are not tombs.

Dolmen at Ganghwa Island, South Korea (c. 300 BC)
Dolmen at Ganghwa Island, South Korea (c. 300 BC)
Megalithic Batu Brak in Batu Brak District, West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province, Indonesia (c. 2100 BC)
Megalithic grave Harhoog in Keitum, Sylt, Germany (c. 3000 BC)
The largest megalith of the ancient world, found in Baalbek, Lebanon, was quarried during the Roman Empire
Göbekli Tepe was inhabited from around 9500 BCE to at least 8000 BCE. Göbekli Tepe was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, recognising its outstanding universal value as “one of the first manifestations of human-made monumental architecture.
Spread of megalithic culture in Europe
Klekkende Høj passage grave, Denmark, c. 3500-2800 BC
A model of the prehistoric town of Los Millares, with its walls (Andalusia, Spain)
Zorats Karer in Armenia
Daorson, Bosnia, built around a prehistoric central fortified settlement or acropolis (existed there cca. 17–16th to the end of the Bronze Age, cca. 9–8th c. BCE), surrounded by cyclopean walls (similar to Mycenae) dated to the 4th c. BCE.
Triangular prismatic megalith of Valle Levante, Fondachelli-Fantina, Sicily
Poulnabrone portal tomb, Ireland
Large, T-shaped Hunebed D27 in Borger-Odoorn, Netherlands
Dolmen of Monte Bubbonia (Sicily)
Construction of a megalith grave
Eagle, one of the Megaliths of Argimusco, Sicily
Saint-Michel tumulus, megalith grave in Brittany
Nuraghe in Sardinia
Tumulus of Kercado, near Carnac. Smaller but older structure in the area. (Part of the Cairn is visible)
Northern-style megalithic burial dolmen from Ganghwa Island, South Korea
Cup and ring marks, in England
Example of a southern-style dolmen at Ganghwa Island, South Korea
Cross section of a megalithic burial site
Megalithic dolmen in Marayoor, India
Göbekli Tepe
Zorats Karer at Armenia (Armenian Stonehenge)
Megalithic structure at Atlit Yam, Israel
Standing stone in Amman, Jordan.
Easter Island’s Moai at Rano Raraku
Inside the burial chamber at Mane Braz, Brittany, France
Menhirs at the Almendres Cromlech, Évora, Portugal
Standing stone at Ader, Southern Jordan
Toraja monolith, c. 1935
Megalithic tomb in Khakasiya, Russian Federation
Capstones of southern-style megalithic burials in Guam-ri, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
Ale’s Stones at Kåseberga, around ten kilometres south east of Ystad, Sweden
Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales
Talaiot in Majorca
Giant’s grave near Dorgali in Sardinia, Italy
Deer stone near Mörön in Mongolia
the Great Menhir of Er Grah in Brittany, the largest known single stone erected by Neolithic man, which later fell down
Taula in Talati de Dalt, Menorca
Megaliths with engraved figures in Tiya, southern Ethiopia
Dolmen of Avola (Sicily, Italy)
Dolmen at the Kuejiyeh dolmen field close to Madaba, Jordan
Dolmen of Menga in Antequera, Spain

 

Reviews

There are no reviews yet

Add a review
Currently, we are not accepting new reviews
Shopping Cart