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Encyclopedia > Megalith
Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany
Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany
Bronze age wedge tomb in the Burren area of Ireland
Bronze age wedge tomb in the Burren area of Ireland

A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. Megalithic means made of such stones, but uses an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement. The word megalith comes from the Ancient Greek μέγας megas meaning great, and λίθος lithos meaning stone. Remains of megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany Taken September 2002 by William M. Connolley. ... Remains of megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany Taken September 2002 by William M. Connolley. ... The Megalithic tomb in Mane Braz, Brittany Mane Braz is a Megalithic tomb located 2 km southeast of Erdeven, Brittany, France. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1500x1001, 225 KB) Summary Wedge tomb, Clooneen townland, County Clare, Ireland, Danny Burke Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: The Burren Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1500x1001, 225 KB) Summary Wedge tomb, Clooneen townland, County Clare, Ireland, Danny Burke Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: The Burren Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... [edit] Megalith Records History and Future Megalith Records was created by The Toasters founder and frontman Robert Bucket Hingley. ... The rocky side of a mountain creek near Orosí, Costa Rica. ... Greek (, IPA: — Hellenic) has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family. ...


Many megaliths were thought to have a purpose in determining important astronomical events such as the solstice and equinox dates (see archaeoastronomy). Cup marks on megaliths have been thought by some to represent stars and thus to show the stellar orientation of megalithic sites.[citation needed] A solstice is either of the two events of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. ... Illumination of the Earth by the Sun on the day of equinox, (ignoring twilight). ... The sun rising over Stonehenge at the 2005 Summer Solstice. ...

Contents

Distribution of megaliths

The term can be used to describe buildings built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods. In the early 20th century, some scholars believed that all megaliths belonged to one global "Megalithic culture" (hyperdiffusionism, e. g. by Grafton Elliot Smith and William James Perry), but this has long been disproved by modern dating methods. Grafton Elliot Smith, (August 15, 1871 in Grafton, New South Wales, - January 1, 1937) in London was an Australian anatomist and a famous proponent of the hyperdiffusionist view of prehistory. ... William James Perry was a reader in cultural anthropology at University College, London. ...


Nabta Playa

Nabta megalith
Nabta megalith

Nabta Playa was once a large lake in the Nubian Desert, located 500 miles south of modern day Cairo.[1] By the 5th millennium BC the peoples in Nabta Playa had fashioned the world's earliest known astronomical device, 1000 years older than, but comparable to, Stonehenge.[2] Image File history File links Nabta. ... Image File history File links Nabta. ... The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ... The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ... Today Nubia is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan, but in ancient times it was an independent kingdom. ... Nickname: Al Qahirah (The Triumphant City) Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 210 km²  (81. ... // Events 4860 BC - Mount Mazama in Oregon collapses, forming a caldera that later fills with water and becomes Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. ... A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant Astronomy is the science of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere (such as auroras and cosmic background radiation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...


Research shows it to be a prehistoric calendar that accurately marks the summer solstice.[2] Findings indicate that the region was occupied only seasonally, likely only in the summer when the local lake filled with water for grazing cattle.[3] [2] A page from the Hindu calendar 1871-72. ... Summer is a season that is astronomically defined as beginning around June 21, and ending around September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. ... A solstice is either of the two events of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. ... Summer is a season that is astronomically defined as beginning around June 21, and ending around September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ...


Western European megaliths

Cromlech of Okabe (Basque Country)
Cromlech of Okabe (Basque Country)

In Western Europe and the Mediterranean, megaliths are generally constructions erected during the Neolithic or late stone age and Chalcolithic or Copper Age (4500 - 1500 B.C.E). Perhaps the most famous megalithic structure is Stonehenge in England, although many others are known throughout the world. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 682 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Harrespil or baratz, at Okabe, Basque Pyrenees, SE of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, 64, France. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 682 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Harrespil or baratz, at Okabe, Basque Pyrenees, SE of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, 64, France. ... The Ikurriña, Basque flag Location of Territory of the Basque Country The Basque Country divided in seven provinces. ... Development of the European Megalithic Culture The European Megalithic Culture was a prehistoric (and preliterate) civilisation based primarily in Western Europe, that has left a legacy of large stone monuments, or megaliths, scattered widely across the continent. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ... The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos copper stone) period, also known as the Eneolithic (Aeneolithic) or Copper Age period, is a phase in the development of human culture in which the use of early metal tools appeared alongside the use of stone tools. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ...


The French Comte de Caylus was the first to describe the Carnac stones. Legrand d'Aussy introduced the terms menhir and dolmen, both taken from the Breton language, into antiquarian terminology. He interpreted megaliths as gallic tombs. Anne-Claude-Philippe de Tubières-Grimoard de Pestels de Lévis, comte de Caylus, marquis dEsternay, baron de Bransac (October 31, 1692 - September 5, 1765), French archaeologist and man of letters, was born at Paris. ... The Menec alignments, the most well-known megalithic site amongst the Carnac stones. ... A menhir is a large, single upright standing stone (monolith or megalith), of prehistoric European origin. ... Poulnabrone dolmen in County Clare, Ireland For the French TV miniseries, see Dolmen (TV miniseries). ... Breton (Breton: Brezhoneg) is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany (Breizh) and Loire-Atlantique (historically part of Brittany) in France. ...


In Britain, the antiquarians Aubrey and Stukeley conducted early research into megaliths. In 1805, Jacques Cambry published a book called Monuments celtiques, ou recherches sur le culte des Pierres, précédées d'une notice sur les Celtes et sur les Druides, et suivies d'Etymologie celtiques, where he proposed a Celtic stone cult. This completely unfounded connection between druids and megaliths has haunted the public imagination since. An antiquarian or antiquary is one concerned with antiquities or things of the past. ... John Aubrey. ... William Stukeley (November 7, 1687–March 3, 1765) was an English antiquary who pioneered the archaeological investigation of Stonehenge and Avebury. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the European people. ... In the Celtic religion, the modern words Druidry or Druidism denote the practices of the ancient druids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ...


In Belgium there is a megalithic site at Wéris, a little town situated in the Ardennes. In the Netherlands megalithic structures can be found in the north-east of the current, mostly in the province of Drenthe. The Ardennes (pronounced ar-DEN) (Dutch: Ardennen) is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région). ... Capital Assen Queens Commissioner A.L. (Relus) ter Beek Religion (1999) Protestant 35% Catholic 8% Area  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water   2,642 km² (7th) 38 km² Population (2005)  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Density 483,173 (10th) 183/km² (12th) Inclusion 1796 Anthem Mijn Drenthe ISO NL-DR Official website www. ...


Knowth is a passage grave of the Brú na Bóinne neolithic complex in Ireland, dating from c.3500-3000BC. It contains more than a third of the total number of examples of megalithic art in all Western Europe, with over 200 decorated stones found during excavations. Knowth is the site of a neolithic passage grave, one of the ancient monuments of the Brú na Bóinne complex in the valley of the River Boyne in Ireland. ... A passage tomb near the town of Sligo in Ireland A Passage grave (sometimes hyphenated) or Passage tomb is a tomb, usually dating to the Neolithic, where the burial chamber is reached along a distinct, and usually low, passage. ... Aerial view of valley Brú na Bóinne (English: Palace on the Boyne) is an internationally important complex of Neolithic chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures located in a wide meander of the River Boyne in Ireland. ... Megalithic art refers to the use of large stones as an artistic medium. ...

Inside the burial chamber, Mane Braz
Inside the burial chamber, Mane Braz

Download high resolution version (600x800, 116 KB)Inside the remains of the burial chamber, Mane Braz, Brittany. ... Download high resolution version (600x800, 116 KB)Inside the remains of the burial chamber, Mane Braz, Brittany. ...

Types of megalithic structures

Different megalithic structures include:

  • Dolmen: a free standing chamber, consisting of standing stones covered by a capstone as a lid. Dolmens were used for burial and were covered by mounds.
  • Menhir: a large, single upright standing stone.
  • Orthostat: an upright slab forming part of a larger structure.
  • Stone circle (or cromlech in Welsh):
  • Stone row: a linear arrangement of upright, parallel standing stones.
  • Stone ship:
  • Taula: a straight standing stone, topped with another forming a 'T' shape.
  • Trilithon: Two parallel upright stones with a horizontal stone (called a lintel) placed on top, e.g. Stonehenge.

Poulnabrone dolmen in County Clare, Ireland For the French TV miniseries, see Dolmen (TV miniseries). ... A menhir is a large, single upright standing stone (monolith or megalith), of prehistoric European origin. ... An orthostat is a large stone set upright. ... Swinside stone circle, in the Lake District, England. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... In archaeology, a stone row or stone alignment is a linear arrangement of standing stones. ... The stone ship at Anunds barrow The Stone ship was a Gemanic burial custom, typical for Scandinavia with scattered examples in Northern Germany and along the coast of the Baltic States (where they are called devil ships). ... This is a taula from the site of Talatì de Dalt about 40km west of Maó. A taula is a T-shaped stone monument found on the Balearic island of Minorca. ... A trilithon (or trilith) is a structure consisting of two large vertical stones supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top. ...

Megalithic graves

Main article: Megalithic tomb
Megalithic tomb in Khakasiya, Russian Federation
Megalithic tomb in Khakasiya, Russian Federation
Megalithic tomb in Khakasiya, Russian Federation
Megalithic tomb in Khakasiya, Russian Federation

Many megalithic monuments were burial mounds which were often re-used by different generations. The chambered cairn is a common type of collective tomb. Some of these are passage graves generally built of drystone walling and/or megaliths often with a round burial chamber in a round mound with a straight passage leading out. Gallery graves have a long megalithic chamber with parallel sides often in a long mound with an entrance at one end.[citation needed] Large T shaped Hunebed D27 in Borger-Odoorn, Netherlands. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Abakan08. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Abakan08. ... Categories: Stub | Republics of Russia ... Image File history File linksMetadata Abakan09. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Abakan09. ... Categories: Stub | Republics of Russia ... A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic, consisting of a cairn of stones inside which a sizeable (usually stone) chamber was constructed. ... A passage tomb near the town of Sligo in Ireland A Passage grave (sometimes hyphenated) or Passage tomb is a tomb, usually dating to the Neolithic, where the burial chamber is reached along a distinct, and usually low, passage. ... A Gallery grave, also known as an Allée couverte tomb is a form of Megalithic chamber tomb where there is no divide between the burial chamber itself and the entrance passage. ...


Modern megaliths

There are even some modern megalithic structures. The Coral Castle is an unusual stone structure created in the 1920s in Homestead, Florida by Edward Leedskalnin. The nine-ton revolving door at Coral Castle The Coral Castle is a mysterious stone structure created by the Latvian American eccentric, Edward Leedskalnin, in Homestead, Florida. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Location of Homestead in Miami-Dade County, Florida Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. ... A view from within Leedskalnins Coral Castle. ...


Examples of megaliths

Other megaliths include:

View of the Almendres Cromlech The Almendres Cromlech megalithic complex, located near Evora - Portugal, is one mankind’s first public monuments. ... NUTS II Alentejo region. ... Ales Stones Ales Stones (Ales Stennar in Swedish) is a megalithic monument in Scania in southern Sweden, from circa 500 BC, that is, the end of the Nordic Bronze Age and the beginning of the Pre-Roman Iron Age. ... The Flag of SkÃ¥ne SkÃ¥ne ( , also known as Scania in English) is the southernmost historical province (landskap) and county (Län) of Sweden. ... Bryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric site on the Welsh island of Anglesey. ... Anglesey (Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)), is an island and county at the northwestern extremity of Wales. ... Carrowmore (from the Gaelic Ceathrú Mór, meaning Great Quarter) is the site of a prehistoric ritual landscape on the Knocknarea Peninsula in County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. ... Carnac is a village and commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany () and part of the Morbihan département of northwestern France. ... Brittany has an expansive coastline Historical province of Brittany Flag of Brittany (Gwenn-ha-du) région of Bretagne, see Bretagne. ... The stone circle at the centre of the Standing Stones of Callanish (Callanish I) A distant view of the circle, stone rows and part of the northern avenue The Callanish stone circle (or Callanish I),Clachan Chalanais in Gaelic, is situated near the village of Callanish (Gaelic: Calanais) on the... Looking towards the Uplands in the centre of the Island of Lewis Lewis (Leòdhas in Scottish Gaelic) or The Isle of Lewis (Eilean Leòdhais), is the northern part of the largest island of the Western Isles of Scotland or Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar). ... Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) redirects here. ... Interior of the chamber Entrance The Cueva de Menga, or Dolmen of Menga is a megalithic burial mound, barrows or dolmen, dating from the 3rd millennium BCE. It is placed at the surroundings of Antequera, Spain. ... Antequera view Antequera is a city in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia (Sp: Andalucía). ... motto: ( Rapa Nui ) Also called Te Pito O Te Henua (Ombligo del mundo) (Navel of the world) Capital Hanga Roa Area  - City Proper  163,6 km² Population  - City (2005)  - Density (city proper) 3,791 Inhabitants 23,17 /km² Time zone Central Time zone, UTC- 6 Telephone Prefix 32 Postal code... Filitosa is a megalithic site in southern Corsica, France. ... (Territorial collectivity flag) (Territorial collectivity logo) Location Administration Capital Ajaccio President of the Executive Council Ange Santini (UMP) (since 2004) Departments Corse-du-Sud Haute-Corse Arrondissements 5 Cantons 52 Communes 360 Statistics Land area1 8,680 km² Population (Ranked 25th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Ggantija temple Ä gantija (also Ggantia) is a megalithic temple complex on the Mediterranean island of Gozo (part of Malta). ... Gozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, second in size to the island of Malta. ... Jejudo Flag Jeju-do is the smallest province of South Korea, situated on, and coterminous with, the countrys largest island. ... Knowth is the site of a neolithic passage grave, one of the ancient monuments of the Brú na Bóinne complex in the valley of the River Boyne in Ireland. ... ĦaÄ¡ar Qim The temple of ĦaÄ¡ar Qim [1], excavated for the first time in 1839, dates from the Tarxien phase (c. ... Khakassia or Khakasiya (Russian: or ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic) located in south central Siberia. ... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) arctic northeast Siberia Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia and comprising a large part of the Euro-Asian Steppe. ... Mnajdra temple (total view) Mnajdra temple (detail) Mnajdra is a site containing three ancient temples on the island of Malta. ... Newgrange, located at , , is one of the passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath, is the most famous of all Irish prehistoric sites. ... Skara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located in the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney, Scotland. ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... The Stanton Drew stone circles are at Grid reference ST600633 just outside the village of Stanton Drew, Somerset. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... The Longstone is situated near Mottistone close to the south west coast of the Isle of Wight. ... Cloghanmore is a megalithic chamber tomb of the court tomb (or court cairn) type located in County Donegal, Ireland, about 8 km east from Carrick in the township of Malin More on the minor road. ... The Court cairn is a variety of megalithic chamber tomb found in south west Scotland and central and northern Ireland. ... Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... The talayots are Bronze Age stone towers on the islands of Minorca and Majorca. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Igeum-dong is a complex archaeological site located in Igeum-dong, Samcheonpo in Sacheon-si, South Gyeongsang Province, Korea. ...

See also

In the history of art, prehistoric art is all art produced in preliterate cultures (prehistory), beginning somewhere in very late geological history. ... Megalithic art refers to the use of large stones as an artistic medium. ... // In archaeology, a forecourt is the name given to the area in front of certain types of chamber tomb. ... A monolith is a geological or technological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock. ... Poulnabrone dolmen in County Clare, Ireland For the French TV miniseries, see Dolmen (TV miniseries). ... Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, southern Utah, USA Petroglyphs are images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric, especially Neolithic, peoples. ... This footprint carved into the rock on Dunadd, in Argyll, is linked to the crowning of the Scots kings of Dál Riata. ... Su Nuraxi, Barumini, Sardinia Central tower of the Nuraghe at Saint Antine of Torralba Su Nurraxi. ...

References

  1. ^ Andrew L. Slayman. "Neolithic Skywatchers", Archaeology, May 27, 1998. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  2. ^ a b c Fred Wendorf and Romuald Schild (March 1998). "Late Neolithic megalithic structures at Nabta Playa (Sahara), southwestern Egypt". The Comparative Archaeology WEB. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
  3. ^ J. Clendenon. Nabta. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ...

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