Megalith Rock
A megalith is a large stone
that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or
together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such
large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or
cement.
The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient Greek
μέγας megas meaning great, and λίθος lithos
meaning stone. Megalith also denotes an item consisting of rock(s) hewn
in definite shapes for special purposes. It has been used to describe buildings
built by people from many parts of the world living in many different periods.
A variety of large stones are seen as megaliths, with the most widely known
megaliths not being sepulchral.The construction
of these structures took place mainly in the Neolithic
(though earlier Mesolithic examples are known) and continued into the Chalcolithic
and Bronze Age.
Analysis
and evaluation
Megaliths were used for a variety of
purposes. The purpose of megaliths ranged from serving as boundary markers of
territory, to a reminder of past events, to being part of the society's
religion. Common motifs including crooks and axes seem to be symbols
of political power, much like the crook was a symbol of Egyptian pharaohs.
Amongst the indigenous peoples
of India, Malaysia,
Polynesia, North Africa,
North America,
and South America,
the worship of these stones, or the use of these stones to symbolize a spirit
or deity, is a possibility.
European
megaliths
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Poulnabrone portal tomb, Ireland
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The most common type of megalithic construction
in Europe is the portal tomb – a chamber consisting of upright stones (orthostats)
with one or more large flat capstones forming a roof. Many of these, though by
no means all, contain human remains, but it is debatable whether use as burial
sites was their primary function.
The
second-most-common tomb type is the passage grave. It normally consists of a square, circular, or
cruciform chamber with a slabbed or corbelled roof, accessed by a long, straight passageway, with
the whole structure covered by a circular mound of earth.
The
third tomb type is a diverse group known as gallery graves. These are axially arranged chambers placed
under elongated mounds.
Asian
megaliths
The greatest concentration of megalithic burials is in Korea. Archaeologists estimate that there are 15,000 to 100,000 southern megaliths in the Korean Peninsula. Typical estimates hover around the 30,000 mark for the entire peninsula, which in itself constitutes some 40% of all dolmens worldwide.
Type of Megalith
1 . Polylithic
- Taula - A vertical stone and horizontal stone stack to form a ''T'' shape monument
- Nuraghe - A pile of small stone arranged to form a tower monument.
- Dolmen - Build with several vertical stone supporting a flat horizontal stone placed on top of it.
2. Monolith
- Trilithon - Two big rock placed vertically and a horizontal rock placed on top of the two big rock
- Stone Row - A several long rock that placed vertically.
- Cycoliths - Stone arranged in circular pattern.
Mystery
This monument of rocks had contributed many question that could not be answered completely. Why it is made ? , For what reason it is bulid for ? , It is a signal to the space ? , How does earlier human can bulid something like this ?, Did they build it with the help of the supernatural ? and Why did people around the world did the same things ?
This question may not be answered forever, but their existsten will always captured the eyes of many people in the world.
