There are many ancient structures that still baffle archaeologists in modern days. One such structure are megaliths that can be found in many places of the world. Megaliths are stone structures built for various reasons like marking a burial ground or for ritualistic practices.
What are Megaliths?
In prehistoric art megaliths are large undressed stones that were used for construction of various Neolithic, Chalcolithic, or Bronze Age monuments. The word megalith was first used by British antiquarian Algernon Herbert in the year 1849.
The term megalith is derived from Greek ‘megas’ which means great and ‘lithos’ which means stone. Megaliths were used for different purposes in different cultures. In some cultures it was used to mark a burial site, for commemorative or ritualistic purposes.
Types of Megaliths:
1. Menhir: Menhir are large and tall stones erected to mark a grave. Stones are placed vertical to the ground above the grave. Menhir is the term used in the Western world. They are either dressed or not dressed. The stone pillars vary in length.
2. Capstone: Capstone style megaliths have a Plano convex stone resting on three or four quadrilateral boulders. They usually contain a funerary urn. They are placed around the burial site.
3. Alignments: Alignments consist of a series of vertical standing stones. The stones are sometimes dressed.
4. Dolmenoid Cists: Dolmenoid cists form either square or rectangular compartments which usually contain the grave. They have a roof on top.
5. Cairn Circle: Cairn circles consist of round shaped stones. In this first a pit dug in the ground and then the body is placed with other things and then it is covered. After this the stones are placed above the grave, they are placed in circular, oblong or square shape.
Megaliths around the World:
1. Middle East:
In the Middle East the major megaliths discovered are portal tombs and menhirs. These can be found in Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan. Their largest concentration can be found at Golan Heights and Jordan.
In Saudi Arabia they can be found only at Hejaz in a very small number. There was a site found in Israel dating back to the seventh century, which is now underwater.
2. Africa:
The most famous megalith site of Africa is the Nabta Playa. Nabta Playa is located in western Egyptian desert south of Cairo. The megalith found here is one of the world’s oldest astronomical devices.
It is aligned with the stars and tells when a summer solstice or a winter solstice might take place. It also helps in foretelling of the seasons.
3. Europe:
The most common type of megalith in Europe is portal tombs. Portal tombs are chambers consisting of upright stones and capstone forming the roof. Many of these portal tombs contain human remains. It can be said that they were used for burial.
Menhirs are also a very common type of megalith structure in Europe. Some of these structures have astronomical functions. The oldest structures in Europe are believed to be in France, this is considered by carbon dating.
4. Asia:
Megalithic tombs have been found in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The structures are concentrated in Korea, China, Japan, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The most ancient tombs are those near the Han River in South Korea dating back to 1500-850 BCE. They are also known as table-style due to their above ground burial chambers with a roof of a large capstone which looks like a table-top.
Written by: Priyanshu Bhardwaj
Edited by: Gourav Chowdhury
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