A rectangular dolmen (german: Rechteckdolmen), extended dolmen (German: ''erweiteter Dolmen'') or enlarged dolmen is a specific type of
megalith
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 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
, rectangular in shape, with upright sidestones and, usually, two capstones. The term rectangular dolmen was coined by Ekkehard Aner and is used especially in the German state of
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
, where dolmens with this type of
ground plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical drawing to scale, showing a view from above, of the relationships between rooms, spaces, traffic patterns, and other physical features at one level of a structure.
Dimensi ...
primarily occur. A more precise term, however, is extended dolmen, used by
Ewald Schuldt Ewald Adolf Ludwig Wilhelm Schuldt (3 January 1914 – 1 June 1987) was a German prehistorian who carried out significant research into the megaliths of northern Germany.
Life
Early years
Schuldt was born on 3 January 1914 in Mechelsdorf near ...
and
Ernst Sprockhoff Ernst Sprockhoff (6 August 1892 – 1 October 1967) was a German prehistorian and inventor of the Sprockhoff numbering system for megalithic monuments in Germany.
Life
Sprockhoff was born on 6 August 1892 in Berlin. He started as a teacher before ...
, because these types of
dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
also occur with trapezoidal ground plans (e.g. the
Gnewitz).
Neolithic monuments are an expression of the culture and ideology of neolithic communities. Their emergence and function are a hallmark of social development.
Capstones and passageway
Whilst the
simple dolmen
The simple dolmen (german: Urdolmen, literally "ancient dolmen") or primeval dolmen is an early form of dolmen or megalithic tomb that occurs especially in Northern Europe. The term was defined by archaeologist, Ernst Sprockhoff, and utilise ...
as a rule only had one capstone (but could have two), the rectangular dolmen, which differs primarily in the orientation of its support stones (standing) from the simple dolmen (lying), usually had two capstones (but also can have just one). Once a third capstone is added, it is called a
great dolmen
The great dolmen or grand dolmen (german: Großdolmen, da, Stordysse) is a type of megalithic site of the Funnelbeaker culture (TBK) that occurs in Nordic megalith architecture, primarily in the east of what is now German Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, ...
(''Großdolmen'') in Germany. A sub-grouping of this type of dolmen is based on the ever-present
entranceway, which, for example, could be designed with a roof-height half stone or single-angle (''einwinkelnd'') support stones.
Mounds
Within long mounds, rectangular dolmens are usually oriented at right angles to the axis of the enclosure. The proportion of rectangular dolmens in round (including oval) mounds, compared with simple dolmens, increases in
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
from 20% to at least 27%. The proportion of mounds is probably higher, because experience has shown that circular mounds leave fewer traces than
stone enclosures. In
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...
, however only two of the 20 "extended dolmens" surveyed by E. Schuldt were covered by round mounds.
Entrances
Most types of dolmen that form part of the
Nordic megalith architecture
Nordic megalith architecture is an ancient architectural style found in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia and North Germany, that involves large slabs of stone arranged to form a structure. It emerged in northern Europe, predominantly betwee ...
genre are open at one end (i.e. are accessible). Occasionally, a short passage is built in front the chamber, often of just one or two pairs of stones of 1.0-1.5 metres in length. Even at undisturbed sites, it is often so short that it does not extend out as far as the stones of the enclosure or the stones around the mound, and just forms the ante-chamber to the main chamber. The place in the enclosure where one would have expected there to be a gap is closed, so that the stone in the row forming a side of the enclosure would have to be removed in order the get into the
dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
.
![Dolmenmontebubbonia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Dolmenmontebubbonia.jpg)
In Denmark and Sweden, the passages could be much longer, especially in the round mounds that are much more common there. In Sicily, Monte Bubbonia dolmen is a chambered tomb 2.20 mt length, made of colossal splinters of rock, with no significant modifications, in rectangular shape.
[Salvatore Piccolo, ''Ancient Stones: The Prehistoric dolmens of Sicily'', Brazen Head Publishing, Thornham/Norfolk 2013, pp. 9-12]
Distribution
Rectangular dolmens, which are generally over 2 metres, and sometimes over 3 metres, in length and 0.9 to 1.5 metres wide, continued the trend of increasing the size of the interior of the chamber, a tendency already seen in the development of
simple dolmen
The simple dolmen (german: Urdolmen, literally "ancient dolmen") or primeval dolmen is an early form of dolmen or megalithic tomb that occurs especially in Northern Europe. The term was defined by archaeologist, Ernst Sprockhoff, and utilise ...
s. About 145 of these chambers occur in Schleswig-Holstein, where it the most common type of dolmen. It is also found throughout the entire coastal region and on the
East Frisian Islands
The East Frisian Islands (German: ''Ostfriesische Inseln'', West Frisian: ''Eastfryske eilannen'', stq, Aastefräiske Ailounds) are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Germany. The islands extend f ...
and its distribution reaches the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
south of
Lake Plön, where it is also seen south of the river in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 54 extended dolmens have survived of an estimated 98 formerly.
Rectangular dolmens also occur in groups within
stone enclosures. Whilst in
Denmark
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up to five dolmens may be found in one enclosure (
Stenbjerggård Barrow), in Germany the sites at
Waabs in the district of
Rendsburg-Eckernförde has three rectangular dolmens and the one at
Kampen on
Sylt
Sylt (; da, Sild; Sylt North Frisian, Söl'ring North Frisian: ) is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian ...
has three
polygonal dolmen
A polygonal dolmen (german: Polygonaldolmen) is a megalithic architectural structure and often depicted as the archetypal dolmen.
Description
Five to nine supporting stones, or orthostats, shape the ground plan of the polygonal chamber. A sing ...
s in a single enclosure (both are in Schleswig-Holstein). A far greater number of enclosures, but also a few round mounds, have two dolmens or chambers.
See also
*
Nordic megalith architecture
Nordic megalith architecture is an ancient architectural style found in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia and North Germany, that involves large slabs of stone arranged to form a structure. It emerged in northern Europe, predominantly betwee ...
References
Literature
* Mamoun Fansa: ''Großsteingräber zwischen Weser und Ems''. 3rd revised edition. Isensee, Oldenburg, 2000, (''Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Nordwestdeutschland''. Beiheft 33).
* Michael Schmidt: ''Die alten Steine. Reisen zur Megalithkultur in Mitteleuropa.'' Hinstorff, Rostock, 1998, .
* Jürgen E. Walkowitz: ''Das Megalithsyndrom. Europäische Kultplätze der Steinzeit.'' Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach, 2003, (''Beiträge zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte Mitteleuropas''. 36).
{{Prehistoric technology
Funnelbeaker culture
Dolmens