A dolmen (also known as cromlech, anta, Hünengrab, Hunebed, quoit, and portal dolmen) is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table). Most date from the early Neolithic period (4000 to 3000 BC). The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Dolmens were usually covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow, though in many cases that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone "skeleton" of the burial mound intact. A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves
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Etymology
"Dolmen" originates from the expression taol maen, which means "stone table" in Breton, and was first used archaeologically by Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Théophile Malo Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne ( 23 November 1743 - 28 June 1800) was a French officer named by Napoleon "first The etymology of the German Hünenbett or Hünengrab and Dutch Hunebed (lit. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Huns' bed) all evoke the image of giants building the structures. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy The Mythology and Legends of many different Cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength Of other Celtic languages, "cromlech" derives from Welsh and "quoit" is commonly used in Cornwall. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. Cromlech is a Brythonic word ( Breton / Welsh) used to describe Prehistoric Megalithic structures where crom means "bent" Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Anta is the term used in Portugal, and dös in Sweden. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.
Dolmen sites
Europe
Megalithic tombs are found from the Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts south to Spain and Portugal. For the New York prison see The Tombs. A Tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. Hunebedden are chamber tombs similar to dolmens and date to the middle Neolithic (Funnelbeaker culture, 4th millennium BC). A chamber tomb is a Tomb for Burial used in many different Cultures In the case of individual burials the chamber is thought to signify a higher status The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Old Europepng|350px|right|thumb|Ca 3500 BC map of Europe showing an approximation of the Funnelbeaker culture in green and a number of important contemporary cultures see Vinca, They consist of a kerb surrounding an oval mound which covered a rectangular chamber of stones with the entrance on one of the long sides. Forecourt In Archaeology, a forecourt is the name given to the area in front of certain types of Chamber tomb. In geometry an oval or ovoid (from Latin ovum, 'egg' is any Curve resembling an egg or an Ellipse. In Geometry, a rectangle is defined as a Quadrilateral where all four of its angles are Right angles A rectangle with vertices ABCD would be denoted as Some have a more complex layout and include an entrance passage giving them a T-shape. It has been suggested that this means they are related to the passage graves found in Denmark and elsewhere. passage grave (sometimes hyphenated or passage tomb is a tomb usually dating to the Neolithic, where the burial chamber is reached along a distinct passage The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe
Dolmen sites fringe the Irish Sea and are found in south-east Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall. The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world In Ireland, however, dolmens are more to be found on the west coast, particularly in the Burren and Connemara, where some of the more well-known examples, such as Poulnabrone dolmen, are to be found. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Connemara (in Irish: Conamara) which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning descendants of Con Mhac of the sea is a district in the west of Poulnabrone Dolmen ( Poll na mBrón in Irish meaning "hole of sorrows" is a Portal tomb in The Burren, County Clare Examples have also been found in northern Ireland where they may have co-existed with the court cairn tombs. The Court cairn is a Megalithic Chamber tomb found in south west Scotland and central and northern Ireland. It is thought that the dolmens themselves evolved from a simpler cist burial method. A cist (ˈkɪst or /ˈsɪst/ or kist (/ˈkɪst/ is a small stone-built coffin-like box or Ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead.
A great many examples can also be found on the Channel Island of Jersey, such as La Pouquelaye de Faldouet, La Hougue des Géonnais and La Sergeanté. The most famous of these sites is La Hougue Bie a 6,000 year old neolithic site that sits inside a large mound; later a chapel was built on the top of the mound. La Hougue Bie is a historic site in the Parish of Grouville, Jersey.
Amongst the vast Neolithic collections of the Carnac stones in Brittany, France, several dozen dolmens are found. The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of Megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of alignments Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. And all around the country, several dolmens still stand, such as the ones of Passebonneau and des Gorces near Saint-Benoît-du-Sault. Saint-Benoît-du-Sault is a commune in the Indre department in central France.
In Spain dolmens can be found in Galicia (such as Axeitos, pictured below), Catalonia (like Romanyà de la Selva or Creu d'en Cobertella) and Andalusia (like the Cueva de Menga). Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area The Cueva de Menga, or Dolmen of Menga is a Megalithic burial mound barrows or Dolmen, dating from the 3rd millennium BCE.
Dolmens can be found all over Portugal, from simple ones [1] to the more complex examples of megalithic architecture, such as the Almendres Cromlech or the Anta Grande do Zambujeiro. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Almendres Cromlech Megalithic complex located located near Guadalupe Évora, Portugal, is one of the earliest public monuments Anta Grande do Zambujeiro is a Megalithic monument located at, near Valverde - Evora - Alentejo - Portugal, one of the biggest existing in the
In Mecklenburg and Pomerania (Germany) and Drenthe (The Netherlands), large numbers of these graves were disturbed when harbours, towns, and cities were built. Mecklenburg ( Low German: Mekelnborg) is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The boulders were used in construction and road building. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. There are still many thousands left today in Europe.
In Italy dolmens can be found in the south (Puglia) and in Sardinia. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily)
In Bulgaria there are many dolmens, and more are being recorded by archaeologists. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian
The largest dolmen in Europe is the Brownshill Dolmen in County Carlow, Ireland. The Brownshill Dolmen ( Dolmain Chnoc an Bhrúnaigh in Irish) is a megalithic Portal tomb situated 3 km east of Carlow, in County Carlow County Carlow (Contae Cheatharlach is a County in Ireland located towards the south east of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. Its capstone weighs about 150 tonnes.
Asia
Similar tombs can be found all over the world. Marayoor is one of the famous tourist spots in the Idukki District of Kerala state South India. South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union Korea has many of the Asian dolmens, dating from the 1st millennium BC. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The dolmen in Ganghwa is a northern-type, table-shaped dolmen where ancestral rites were held. Ganghwa may refer to Ganghwa County, an administrative region of South Korea Ganghwa Island, an island in South Korea It is the biggest stone of this kind in South Korea, measuring 2. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː 6 by 7. 1 by 5. 5 metres. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The number of dolmens in North and South Korea, approximately 30,000, is about 40% of the total number of dolmens in the world. There are also dolmens in Kerala, India, about 7 km from Marayoor, Kerala, near the small village of Pious Nagar, also known as Alinchuvad. Marayoor is one of the famous tourist spots in the Idukki District of Kerala state South India. These dolmens are set in clusters of two to five dolmens obviously for the burial of a family. There are hundreds of such dolmen clusters in the area. Apart from overground dolmens, underground burial chambers built with dressed stone slabs have also been discovered in Marayoor. All these dolmens are made from heavy granite slabs, mined using primitive technology. This was a burial ground for several centuries for a noble tribal dynasty known as Adi Cheras.
Middle East
Dolmens are also found in Israel, Syria and Jordan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern
Eurasia
- See also: Dolmens of Russia
Over 3000 dolmens and other structures can be found in the North-Western Caucasus region of Russia, where more and more dolmens are discovered in the mountains each year. Concentrations of Megaliths Dolmens and stone labyrinths have been found (but little studied along Russia’s northern shores with the White Sea and the Barents
Other photos
 Ganghwa dolmen, South Korea |
 Dolmen near the Jane River, Russia |
 Dolmen near the Jane River, Russia |
 Dolmen near the Pshada River, Russia |
 Knocknakilla dolmen, Ireland |
 Wedge tomb, Glantane east, Ireland |
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 Hunebed, Noordlaren, (G1) The Netherlands |
 Poulnabrone dolmen, Ireland |
 Cova d'Endaina, Romanya de la Selva, Catalunya, Spain |
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See also
- Dolmen deity
- Megaliths
- Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
- Menhir
- Neolithic Europe
- Stone circle
References
- Trifonov, V. Ganghwa may refer to Ganghwa County, an administrative region of South Korea Ganghwa Island, an island in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Knocknakilla (Grid Ref W297843 is a megalithic complex between Macroom and Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. Glantane East is a megalithic complex situated 64km (4 miles from Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Noordlaren is a small village/town in the Dutch province of Groningen. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Legananny is a townland 4 km (25 miles north of Leitrim, County Down, Northern Ireland and 10 km (6 miles from Castlewellan. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world La Hougue Bie is a historic site in the Parish of Grouville, Jersey. The Bailiwick of Jersey ( Jèrriais: Jèrri) is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. In Archaeology, a dolmen deity is a humanoid figure sometimes seen in the Megalithic art cut into the walls of Chamber tombs in western Europe especially The Gochang Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are the location of hundreds of stone Dolmen which were used as grave markers and for ritual purposes during the first millennium A menhir is a large upright Standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as Monoliths or as part of a group of similar stones Neolithic Europe is the time between roughly from 7000 BC (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) to ca A stone circle is an ancient monument Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle , 2006. Russia's megaliths: unearthing the lost prehistoric tombs of Caucasian warlords in the Zhane valley. St. Petersburg: The Institute for Study of Material Culture History, Russian Academy of Sciences. Available from [2]
- Kudin, M. , 2001. Dolmeni i ritual. Dolmen Path - Russian Megaliths. Available from [3]
- Knight, Peter. Ancient Stones of Dorset, 1996.
External links
- Dolmens of Dorset
- Some monuments with QTVR panoramic views in Archeologia Sarda
- Dolmens, Menhirs & Stones-Circles in the South of France in French and English
- (Dutch) Pictures of Hunebedden in the Netherlands
- Poulnabrone Dolmen in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland
- Dolmen (Goindol) sites in KoreaPDF on UNESCO's World Heritage List. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex
- Dolmen Pictures by Robert Triest.
- Russian Megaliths
- Jersey Heritage Trust
- Legananny Dolmen, Ireland
- World heritage site of dolmen in Korea
Dictionary
dolmen
-noun
- a prehistoric megalithic tomb consisting of a capstone supported by two or more upright stones, most having originally been covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow.
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