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Key Questions

  • What are "megalithic monuments"?
  • What can we learn from them about prehistoric societies?
  • What is the origin of megalithic monuments?
  • Is this a single phenomenon or are there different megalithic traditions in Europe?
  • "Big stones" monuments: what was the big idea?

Definition of Megalithic

  • Etymology: From Greek ‘Mega’ (great) + ‘Lithos’ (stone)
  • Description: Prehistoric architectures made of large, predominantly unworked stones.

Distribution of Megalithic Traditions in Europe

  • Types and Functions:
    • Types: Tombs, standing stones, and circles.
    • Date Range: Neolithic to Early Bronze Age (c. 4700-2000 BC)
    • Examples: Le Grand Menhir brisé (Locmariaquer, Brittany), Stonehenge.

Non-Megalithic Monuments

  • Part of a broader tradition of monumentality including:
    • Earthen monuments: barrows, henges, cursuses
    • Rock-cut tombs

Anatomy of a Megalithic Tomb

  1. Megalithic Chamber: Includes a passage and chamber.
  2. Tumulus/Mound or cairn.

Typological Classifications by Oscar Montelius (1843-1921)

  • Types of Tombs:
    • Dolmens
    • Passage graves
    • Gallery graves
  • Focus on chamber architecture rather than mounds.

The Origin of Megaliths

  1. Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957): Proposed a single phenomenon diffusing from Iberia or Eastern Mediterranean through ‘Megalithic missionaries’.
    • Critique: 1960s radiocarbon dating disproved this model; megaliths are older than Eastern Med sites, indicating independent emergence.
  2. Colin Renfrew (b. 1937): Breakdown of territorial organisation for megalithic tombs; viewed as territorial markers influenced by land/resource scarcity.

Regional Developments

  • Key Regions:
    • Western France
    • Ireland

Breton First Monuments

  • Types: Tertres and stone rows (c. 4700-4100 BC)
    • Notable site: Le Manio 2, Carnac
    • Elements include ceramic deposits, engraved steles, hearths.

Stone Rows and Menhirs

  • Description: Alignments of stones thought to be part of funerary practices and territorial markers.

Tomb Types from 3500-2000 BC

  • Angled passage tombs, gallery graves, and evidence of new burial practices including collective burials and reduced grave goods.

Megalithic Art

  • Found on chamber walls and roofs as well as outside on kerbstones.

The Big Idea Behind Megaliths

  • Characteristics: Large, unworked stones were utilized despite technological capacity to cut and shape stones, highlighting the importance of natural aesthetics and cultural significance.
  • Function: Potential indicators of social power or status.

Conclusion: Statements of Power in Construction

  • Examples: Dolmens may illustrate power through large capstones without mounds.
  • The building process and ethnographic parallels highlight the social dynamics involved in megalithic construction.

Further Reading

  • Thomas, J. (2012). The megalithic monuments of Europe.
  • Scarre, C. (ed.) (2002). Monuments and landscape in Atlantic Europe.
  • Scarre, C. (2007). The Megalithic Monuments of Britain and Ireland.
  • Midgley, M. (2008). The megaliths of Northern Europe.
  • Scarre, C. (2011). Landscapes of Neolithic Brittany.