Long barrows are earthen tumuli and were erected in many regions of Northern Europe. The oldest can be found in Brittany, France. Further, they appear in Southern France, England, Scotland, Germany, South-Scandinavia and Poland. Alternative names include combinations of Long, non-megalithic, un-chambered or earthen AND mound, grave or monument. E.g. un-chambered mount or earthen barrow, …
Locmariaquer Site The site of the megaliths (french Site des mégalithes de Locmariaquer) is the home of three remarkable monuments: The Table des Marchands – a passage monument, the Er-Grah tumulus, and the broken Grand Menhir Brisé are in close vicinity. Excavations on the site have revealed 18(19) holes in a line [1]. They were …
The cyclic nature of seasons cause a cycle in the temperate climate zone of Northern Europe. The vegetation undergoes a life cycle: after winter time the spring brings new life, vegetation flourishes and climaxes in summer and then starting to decline again in autumn and rests in winter, to then start over in spring. This …
This passage tomb in Locmariaquer, Brittany (Carnac area) is known under various other names: Mané Rutuel, Mané Rethuel, Mané Ruthuel and Bé-er-Groah, which means ‘the tomb of the witch’. The monument is very well-known for its decorated stones and giant capstone. It has been examined a number of times. It was dug into in Roman …
Described from finds in Breton megalithic art this symbol is named yoke in literature (e.g. [1]). Locations This symbol can be found in a number of passage tombs in Brittany. A fine example can be found in the passage tomb of the Mané Lud mound in Locmariaquer with eleven ‘yokes’ on one orthostat. Interpretation The …
Elizabeth Shee Twohig has coined the term Megalithic art in her study of ‘The Megalithic Art of Western Europe’ [1]. Her original definition of Megalithic art focussed on paintings or carvings found on the structural elements, like the kerbstones, orthostats, or capstones of megalithic tombs, but recent investigations have included decorations on Stelae and Menhirs. …
This extraordinary monument is the longest passage tomb in Brittany: 11.8 m long, 2 m high and only 1.5 m wide. No finds were recorded from excavations. When entering the tomb it becomes immediately apparent that is a special place and different to any of the other tombs nearby. The stones of the passage and …
Many megalithic tombs have been destroyed over the centuries and the remaining buildings represent only a fraction of the original number. E. Sprockhoff [1] listed 900 for German Empire in 1938. Today this number is around 1,350 for that area. In Denmark today 2,067 tombs are known on an area roughly half the size than …
The concept of a tiered cosmos is important for an understanding of the meaning of megalithic structures. The Greek word cosmos is not just another term of what we today call the universe. Moreover it refers to the sum of experiences of a society. That includes the physical world, but also religious concepts. An important …
Entoptic phenomena (or just entoptics) are visual sensations that occur in the human visual system itself without external stimuli. That means the sensations can be observed even with closed eyes. The figure below gives some examples of the entoptic phenomena. These are usually simple geometric patterns, like lines, grids or nets, dots, zigzags and spirals. …