The stone circle itself has a diameter of 400 m and enclosures two (and one probably unfinished third one) older stone circles and other settings, like a cove. The biggest erected stones have a weight of more than 50 t. From the circle two stone rows or avenues started. The Kennet Avenue leading south east … Read more
The Kercado passage grave is located 2.25 km ENE of Carnac-Ville. It is amongst the oldest megalithic monuments estimated to been build as early as 4675 BC. The monument was excavated in 1863 by R. Galles and in 1925 by Z. Le Rouzic. A number of finds were made, including several axes, burnt human bone, … Read more
This passage tomb in Locmariaquer, Brittany (Carnac area) is know under various other names: Mané Rutuel, Mané Rethuel, Mané Ruthuel and Bé-er-Groah, which means ‘the tomb of the witch’. The monument has a number of upright stones with engravings. On two stones a symbol can be found that was named after this monument ‘Mané Retual … Read more
Mané Lud is a large Neolithic funerary mound at Locmariaquer in southern Brittany, within the Carnac–Gulf of Morbihan megalithic zone. The mound measures roughly 107 × 54 m and rises to nearly 6 m. It is associated with a chambered cairn or passage-grave element, placing it among the monumental tomb architecture of the 5th–4th millennium … Read more
Description Waldhusen is a Neolithic passage grave of the Holstein chamber type, situated near Pöppendorf, close to Lübeck in northern Germany. The monument belongs to the northern European megalithic burial tradition and preserves several features important for understanding chamber construction, fire traces, and later reuse. The grave was excavated in 1843 by K. Klug. Prior … Read more
The location and orientation of megalithic monuments has been chosen very carefully by their builders. The orientation towards celestial constellations has been subject of many discussions and interpretations (see Archaeoastronomy). However, monuments were placed so that they correspond to other features either in the landscape or other man made structures. They present visible landmarks embedded in a spatial context forming megalithic landscapes.
The term dolmen from the Breton words taol for table and maen for stone was initially used for the horizontal cover stones of chambered megalithic monuments and from late 18th and the 19th was used in France to describe two or more uprights with at least one cover stone. Although many national and regional names … Read more
Archaeologists have named the Neolithic communities funnel beaker culture after the characteristic type of beaker pottery created by that people. The top of the beakers is formed like a funnel. The so called Funnel beaker culture, short TRB from (German) Trichterbecherkultur (ca 4000 BC–2700 BC) covered big parts of the North of Europe. The TRB … Read more
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, … Read more
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. … Read more
