1. Megaliths of Western Europe

2.  Started spreading across Europe before 7000 years ago  Found in societies lacking an awareness of metals  Usually farming/agricultural societies

3. A Source of Knowledge about Past Societies  Level of technical and social sophistication necessary for their construction  Evidence of artisan workers all over megaliths  Secondary characteristic of taking possession of land

4. Origin of Megaliths  Possibly the Near East  Preceded by the appearance of monumental brick architecture  Egypt?  Problem: First pyramids were built in 2700 BC

5. Definition  Megaliths=large block of stone  Mega=large  Lithos=stone

6. Megaliths  Many forms  Widespread distribution & Range of locations  Jean Pierre Mohen- farming societies

7. Types of Megaliths  Menhir/Peulvan – a long, standing stone, anchored in the earth, used to mark a place as a memorial, sign of respect, or for astronomical observations  Henges - prehistoric oval or circular area, bounded by a mound or ditch, that contains standing stones or wooden pillars  Dolmens - Large horizontal slab of stone supported by two or more vertical slabs, and was used as a tomb/burial chamber

8. Menhirs  2 to 30 meters tall  Various stone materials (as available)  Worldwide, with a high concentration in Europe  Uncertain reasons for erections

9. King Stone in the Cotswalds of the UK  Date: 2500 BC, middle of the Bronze Age  Made of local oolithic limestone  Recent excavations: probably a marker for a burial mound

10. Menhirs of France  Region of Brittany has highest concentration of menhirs in France  Associated with ritual activities Effigies of divine figures Markings of burial places Vast calendar and map of the universe

11. The Grand Menhir Brisee of Locmariaquer

12. Menhir Preservation  Menhirs were reused by later civilizations Leveled for later construction Resculpted for later forms of art Christianized Incorporated into agricultural or building uses

13. (Keppel Henge) Henges

14. Facts about Henges  Over 1,300 have been found in Britain, Ireland, and France  Possible purposes of these henges: Communal ceremonies Calendrical purposes Created Authority  Ex. Arbor Low, Bull Ring & Stonehenge

15. Stonehenge  100 ft in diameter  Started in 3100 BCE  Built in three stages over 25 generations  Aliens?

16. Functions  Sun worshipping Slaughter stone Track sun movement  Astronomy Winter solstice and summer solstice Told when to perform ceremonies and when to change priests Could predict eclipses

17. Construction  Who? Atlantis Merlin Phoenicians Aliens Druid Priesthood  Original stones carried over 30km

18. Dolmens  Chamber/Tomb Megalith  Mostly found in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland  Four major types: Passage graves Court tombs Portal tombs Wedge tombs

19. Passage Graves  Chamber tombs with passages  Approximately 150 in the northern half of the UK  Cruciform chamber lined with upright stones supporting roofing slabs  Ex. Boyne Valley & Newgrange, Ireland

20. Court Tombs  Courtyard, in a stone cairn, with several chambers on it.  Two types: Creevykeel Mid-Gleniron  Probably built in three phases

21. Portal Tombs  About 200 found in Ireland, Wales & England  Characterized by massive form of the megalithic components of the chamber  Long trapezoidal mound facing east  Semi circular facade that forms a court and forms different stages of the monument  Ex. Pentre Ifan & Dyffryn Ardudwy

22. Dyffryn Ardudwy

23. Wedge Tombs  About 400 found in western Ireland  Also known as corner-tombs  About 20 to 26 feet long and bounded by stone uprights and covered by several stone slabs  Indicates a more intensive occupation of the terrain  Usually found on the sides of hills and on low ground, as opposed to court tombs and passage graves that are on high ground

24. Megaliths: The End  Neolithic people moved from a hunting gathering society to farming  Earliest megaliths were tombs; later they became monuments for ancestors, whom they perceived as the mediators for the gods and the living  Commanding family would be buried in megalith  Megaliths gained importance as societies became more complex

25. People Still Enjoy Megaliths Today!

26. The Brandeis Megalith  Located in Waltham, Massachusetts  Stands between 10 and 15 feet high  Unsure of exactly what its purpose is  Aliens?