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A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber
megalithic tomb 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 ...
, usually consisting of two or more upright
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 ...
s supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
(40003000 BCE) and were sometimes covered with earth or smaller stones to form a
tumulus A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or '' kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones ...
(burial mound). Small pad-stones may be wedged between the cap and supporting stones to achieve a level appearance.Murphy (1997), 43 In many instances, the covering has eroded away, leaving only the stone "skeleton". The
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
is home to the world's highest concentration of dolmens,UNESCO World Heritage List. "Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites." https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/977 including "cemeteries" consisting of 30–100 examples located in close proximity to each other; with over 35,000 dolmens, Korea alone (for unknown reasons) accounts for approximately 40% of the global total.


History

It remains unclear when, why and by whom the earliest dolmens were made. The oldest known are found in Western Europe, dating from c. 7,000 years ago. Archaeologists still do not know who erected these dolmens, which makes it difficult to know why they did it. They are generally all regarded as tombs or burial chambers, despite the absence of clear evidence for this. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artefacts, have been found in or close to the dolmens which could be scientifically dated using
radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was de ...
. However, it has been impossible to prove that these remains date from the time when the stones were originally set in place. The word ''dolmen'' entered archaeology when Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne used it to describe megalithic tombs in his (1796) using the spelling ''dolmin'' (the current spelling was introduced about a decade later and had become standard in French by about 1885). The ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...
'' does not mention ''dolmin'' in English and gives its first citation for ''dolmen'' from a book on
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
in 1859, describing the word as "The French term, used by some English authors, for a
cromlech A cromlech (sometimes also spelled "cromleh" or "cromlêh"; cf Welsh ''crom'', "bent"; ''llech'', "slate") is a megalithic construction made of large stone blocks. The word applies to two different megalithic forms in English, the first being an ...
...". The name was supposedly derived from a
Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of ...
term meaning 'stone table' but doubt has been cast on this, and the ''OED'' describes its origin as "Modern French". A book on Cornish antiquities from 1754 said that the current term in the
Cornish language Cornish (Standard Written Form: or ) , is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a revived language, having become extinct as a living community language in Cornwall at the end of the 18th century. However, ...
for a cromlech was ('hole of stone') and the OED says that "There is reason to think that this was the term inexactly reproduced by Latour d'Auvergne icas ''dolmen'', and misapplied by him and succeeding French archaeologists to the ''cromlech''". Nonetheless it has now replaced ''cromlech'' as the usual English term in archaeology, when the more technical and descriptive alternatives are not used. The later Cornish term was ''quoit'' – an English-language word for an object with a hole through the middle preserving the original Cornish language term of – the name of another dolmen-like monument is in fact
Mên-an-Tol The Mên-an-Tol ( Cornish: ''Men an Toll'') is a small formation of standing stones in Cornwall, UK (). It is about three miles northwest of Madron. It is also known locally as the "Crick Stone". Location The Mên-an-Tol stands near the Madron ...
'stone with hole' (SWF: ''Men An Toll''.) Dolmens are known by a variety of names in other languages, including ga, dolmain, Galician and pt, anta, bg, translit=Dolmeni, Долмени, german: Hünengrab/Hünenbett,
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gr ...
and nl, hunebed, eu, trikuharri, Abkhaz: , Adyghe: , Danish and no, dysse, sv, dös, ko, translit=goindol, 고인돌, and he, גַלעֵד. ''Granja'' is used in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
,
Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
, and some parts of
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
. The rarer forms ''anta'' and ''ganda'' also appear. In Catalan-speaking areas, they are known simply as , but also by a variety of folk names, including ('cave'), ('crate' or 'coffin'),Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B
"caixa"
(in Catalan). In: ''Diccionari català-valencià-balear''. Palma: Moll, 1930-1962. ISBN 8427300255.
('table'),Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B
"taula"
(in Catalan). In: ''Diccionari català-valencià-balear''. Palma: Moll, 1930-1962. ISBN 8427300255.
('chest'), ('hut'), ('hut'), ('slab'), ('pallet slab'), ('rock') or ('stone'), usually combined with a second part such as ('of the Arab'), ('of the Moor/s'),Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B
"cova"
(in Catalan). In: ''Diccionari català-valencià-balear''. Palma: Moll, 1930-1962. ISBN 8427300255.
('of the thief'), ('of the devil'), ('of
Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
'),. In the Basque Country, they are attributed to the '' jentilak'', a race of giants. The
etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...
of the german: Hünenbett, Hünengrab and nl, hunebed – with ''/'' meaning 'giant' – all evoke the image of giants buried (// = 'bed/grave') there. Of other
Celtic languages The Celtic languages (usually , but sometimes ) are a group of related languages descended from Proto-Celtic. They form a branch of the Indo-European language family. The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edward ...
,
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
was borrowed into English and ''quoit'' is commonly used in English in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
.


Types

* * * * * File:Trethevy Quoit from the South - geograph.org.uk - 362250.jpg,
Trethevy Quoit Trethevy Quoit ( kw, Koyt Tredhewi) is a well-preserved megalithic structure between St Cleer and Darite in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is known locally as "the giant's house". Standing high, it consists of five standing stones capped by a l ...
- one of the best-preserved in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
, UK dated to around 3500–2500 BCE File:Chûn Quoit (small).jpg,
Chûn Quoit Chûn Quoit is one of the best preserved of all Neolithic quoits (also called dolmens or cromlechs) in western Cornwall, United Kingdom. Chûn Quoit is located in open moorland near Pendeen and Morvah. Standing on a ridge, near the much la ...
in Cornwall, UK, about 2400 BCE File:Zennor Quoit (small) (9612120).jpg,
Zennor Quoit Zennor Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber or dolmen, located on a moor about a mile (1.6 km) east of the village of Zennor, Cornwall, England, UK. It dates to 2500–1500 BC. Aside from the roof, which collapsed some time between ...
in Cornwall, UK, 2500–1500 BCE File:Lanyon Quoit 05.jpg,
Lanyon Quoit Lanyon Quoit is a dolmen in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, 2 miles southeast of Morvah. It collapsed in a storm in 1815 and was re-erected nine years later, and as a result the dolmen is now very different from its original appearance. Loca ...
in Cornwall, UK, 3500-2500 BCE File:MarayoorDolmen.JPG, A dolmen erected by Neolithic people in Marayur,
Kerala, India Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
. File:Muniyara.jpg, Dolmens of
Marayoor Marayur or Marayoor is a town in Devikulam taluk of Idukki district in Kerala, India. It is located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17 connecting Munnar with Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu. Marayur is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above ...
, India. File:Example of a southern-style dolmen at Ganghwa Island.jpg, A southern-style dolmen at
Ganghwa Island Ganghwa Island (Hangul ; Hanja ), also known by its native name Ganghwado, is a South Korean island in the estuary of the Han River. It is in the Yellow Sea, off Korea's west coast. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainlan ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
File:Example of a northern-style dolmen at Ganghwa Island.jpg, A northern-style dolmen at Ganghwa Island, South Korea File:Korea-Hwasun Dolmen sites03.jpg, The biggest dolmen near
Hwasun Hwasun County (화순군; ''Hwasun-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Symbol * County Flower : Wild Chrysanthemum * County Tree : Zelkova Tree * County Bird : Dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
File:Dolmen Roch-Feutet.JPG, The dolmen Er-Roc'h-Feutet in
Carnac Carnac (; br, italic=no, Karnag, ) is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan department in north-western France. Its inhabitants are called ''Carnacois'' in French. Carnac is renowned for the C ...
,
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
, France File:Crucuno dolmen.jpg, Crucuno dolmen in
Plouharnel Plouharnel (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Plouharnel are called in French ''Plouharnelais''. Geography Plouharnel is a seaside town located in the south of Morbihan, southwest ...
, Brittany, France File:KilclooneyDolmen1986.jpg, Kilclooney More dolmen near
Ardara, County Donegal Ardara ( ; ) is a small town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located on the N56 and R261 roads. The population as of the 2016 census was 732. The population of 731 at the 2011 Census represented an increase of about 30% since 2006. In ...
, Ireland File:LG Dolmen1.JPG,
Lancken-Granitz dolmen The Lancken-Granitz dolmens are a group of seven megalith tombs in the Lancken-Granitz municipality on Rügen, northern Germany. Erected during the middle Neolithic, when they were used by the Funnelbeaker culture, at least some were in use until ...
, Germany File:Hunebed-d27.jpg, T-shaped Hunebed D27 in Borger-Odoorn, Netherlands File:Antadaaboboreira.jpg, Dólmen da Aboboreira, Baião, Portugal File:Dolmen di Avola.JPG, Dolmen of Avola, Sicily File:Bisceglie dolmen della chianca 5.JPG, Dolmen of
Bisceglie Bisceglie (; nap, label= Biscegliese, Vescégghie) is a city and municipality of 55,251 inhabitants in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, in the Apulia region (''Italian'': ''Puglia''), in southern Italy. The municipality has the fourth h ...
,
Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...
File:Inukshuk Sunset Kuujjuaraapik January.jpg, Inuksuk in the vicinity of Kuujjuarapik, Quebec File:12i dolmen di Montalbano.jpg, Dolmen of Fasano, Apulia File:Tinkinswood burial chamber (4787).jpg, Tinkinswood,
Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...
, Wales, around 3000 BCE File:Dolmen de Axeitos.jpg, Dolmen of Oleiros, Galicia File:Mores02.jpg, Dolmen Sa Coveccada,
Mores, Sardinia Mores ( sc, Mòres) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari and about southeast of Sassari. Located at the bottom of Mount Lachesos, Mores is home to two thous ...
File:Dolmen Russia Kavkaz Jane 1.jpg,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
File:Долмен Начови чаири.jpg,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
File:Dombate perfil 2013.jpg, Musealised Dolmen de Dombate,
Galicia (Spain) Galicia (; gl, Galicia or ; es, Galicia}; pt, Galiza) is an autonomous community of Spain and historic nationality under Spanish law. Located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, it includes the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, ...
File:Dolmen-Keriaval.jpg, Keriaval Dolmen,
Carnac Carnac (; br, italic=no, Karnag, ) is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan department in north-western France. Its inhabitants are called ''Carnacois'' in French. Carnac is renowned for the C ...
,
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
, France File:Temuan Kolonial Belanda.jpg, Dolmen Batu Brak in
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
.
Liwa, Indonesia Liwa is the capital of West Lampung Regency, Lampung province, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 island ...
.


See also

*
Antequera Dolmens Site The Antequera Dolmens Site is a cultural heritage ensemble comprising three cultural monuments (the Dolmen of Menga, Dolmen of Viera and Tholos of El Romeral) and 2 natural mountain features (the Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal) in and ne ...
*
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites The Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are the location of hundreds of stone dolmens which were used as grave markers, and for ritual purposes during the first millennium BCE when the Megalithic Culture was prominent on the Korean Peninsula ...
* Inuksuk * Irish megalithic tombs * Kistvaen * List of Dolmens *
List of megalithic sites A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
Megalithic art Megalithic art refers to art either painted or carved onto megaliths in prehistoric Europe. Elizabeth Shee Twohig has coined the term Megalithic art in her study of The Megalithic Art of Western Europe. Her original definition of Megalithic a ...
*
Neolithic Europe The European Neolithic is the period when Neolithic (New Stone Age) technology was present in Europe, roughly between 7000 BCE (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) and c.2000–1700 BCE (the beginning of the Bronze Ag ...
*
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 betwe ...
*
Rujm el-Hiri Rujm el-Hiri ( ar, رجم الهري, ''Rujm al-Hīrī''; he, גִּלְגַּל רְפָאִים ''Gilgal Refā'īm'' or ''Rogem Hiri'') is an ancient megalithic monument consisting of concentric circles of stone with a tumulus at center. It is ...
*
Stone Table In C. S. Lewis's fantasy novel series the '' Chronicles of Narnia'', the hill of the Stone Table, or Aslan's How, is a high mound or cairn, located south of the Great River in Narnia next to the Great Woods. The How was built over the hill of th ...
*
Taula A taula (meaning 'table' in Catalan) is a Stonehenge-esque stone monument found on the Balearic island of Menorca. Taulas can be up to 5 metres high and consist of a vertical pillar (a monolith or several smaller stones on top of each other) w ...


References


Sources

* * *Murphy, Cornelius. ''The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork''. Department of Archaeology,
University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one o ...
, 1997


Further reading

* Trifonov, V., 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 fro

* Kudin, M., 2001. Dolmeni i ritual. Dolmen Path – Russian Megaliths. Available fro

* Knight, Peter. Ancient Stones of Dorset, 1996.


External links


World heritage site of dolmen in Korea

Piccolo, Salvatore. "Dolmen." World History Encyclopedia.

The Megalith Map

The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map


in Italian and English


Research Centre of Dolmens in Northeast Asia


* on
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
's
World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
.
Jersey Heritage Trust


by Robert Triest.
Dolmens of Russia

Dolmens. Part 2. How and for which purpose were they built? Hypotheses
{{Authority control Burial monuments and structures Megalithic monuments Types of monuments and memorials Stone monuments and memorials Stones Death customs Megalithic monuments in the Middle East Stone Age Europe