Since time immemorial, megaliths have fascinated archaeologists, historians, and travelers alike. These enormous stone structures, erected by prehistoric cultures, have withstood the passage of time and continue to raise questions: How were they built? What purpose did they serve? And most importantly, what significance did they hold for those who constructed them?
There are many types of megaliths—dolmens, menhirs, cromlechs, and alignments are the most well-known—but what exactly is each one, and how do they differ?
The term megalith comes from the Greek words mega (large) and lithos (stone) and is used to describe any prehistoric structure built with large stone blocks without the use of mortar or cement. These constructions can be found on almost every continent, though the most significant concentrations are in Europe, Asia, and some regions of Africa.
It is estimated that most megaliths were built between the Neolithic and Bronze Age (approximately between 5000 BCE and 1500 BCE), although some datings suggest that certain structures may be even older.
Menhirs: The Solitary Stones
Menhirs are the simplest forms of megaliths: vertical stone monoliths embedded in the ground. They can be found standing alone or forming alignments of hundreds or even thousands of stones.
They are common in Western Europe (France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland) as well as some regions of Asia and Africa.
Their exact purpose is unknown, but it is believed that they may have served as territorial markers, religious symbols, or even astronomical instruments aligned with solar or lunar events.
An example of a menhir is the Broken Menhir of Er Grah, located about 12 kilometers from Carnac in Locmariaquer, France. It is the tallest prehistoric monolith in Europe, originally measuring more than 20 meters and weighing around 280 tons.
Dolmens: The Stone Tombs
Dolmens are funerary structures made up of large stone slabs arranged in the form of a burial chamber, usually covered with earth to form a tumulus. They consist of two or more vertical stones supporting a large horizontal slab as a roof.
They are found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, with the Korean Peninsula having the highest number of dolmens in the world.
It is believed that they were collective tombs used by Neolithic communities to bury their dead with offerings and valuable objects.
One of the most spectacular examples is the Dolmen of Menga in southern Spain, whose funerary chamber measures nearly 30 meters long and is aligned with the mountain known as Peña de los Enamorados.
Cromlechs: Mysterious Stone Circles
Cromlechs are groups of stones arranged in a circular or oval shape and are often associated with ritualistic or astronomical ceremonies.
They exist throughout Europe, with a high concentration in the British Isles and the Brittany region of France.
It is believed that cromlechs may have served as astronomical observatories, religious temples, or gathering places for important community ceremonies.
Stonehenge in England is probably the most famous of all megaliths, with its imposing sandstone blocks and precise astronomical alignments. In the Iberian Peninsula, the largest cromlech is found in Portugal: the Cromlech of Almendres.
Alignments: Rows of Stones Leading to the Horizon
Alignments consist of long rows of menhirs stretching over several kilometers. Most of them are located in Western Europe, though some have also been found in Africa and Asia.
It has been suggested that alignments may have been ceremonial pathways, territorial markers, or structures related to the astronomical calendar.
One of the most spectacular examples is in Carnac, France, where more than 3,000 stones form complex alignments.
Other Types
There are other types of megaliths, such as Taulas, which are unique to the island of Menorca. These consist of two large stones placed on top of each other in a T-shape, forming the central element of an enclosed space.
Cairns, or stone mounds, are conical piles of small stones, mainly found in mountains or near bodies of water. A more elaborate example is the Inuksuit built by the Inuit, which are anthropomorphic stone markers used for navigation in the Arctic.
Finally, there are the Nordic Stone Ships, monuments created by aligning large stone blocks in the shape of a full-sized ship.
The largest of them is Ales Stenar in Sweden, consisting of 59 stones (weighing between 0.5 and 1.8 tons each), arranged to form the outline of a vessel measuring 67 meters long by about 18.5 meters wide.
One of the greatest mysteries of megaliths is how these structures were erected using rudimentary tools. Several theories have been proposed, including the use of ramps and levers to move the stones, wooden rollers and sleds for long-distance transportation, and large-scale communal labor.
In sites like Stonehenge, where some stones were transported from more than 200 kilometers away, the logistics of their transport remain an enigma. Advances in archaeology and technology continue to reveal new information about these structures, but much remains to be discovered.
What is certain is that in every solitary menhir, every sepulchral dolmen, and every stone circle, the echoes of a past civilization still captivate us. Megaliths are not just stones; they are silent witnesses to human history, guardians of ancestral secrets that we continue to uncover, little by little.
This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on February 13, 2025: Los enigmáticos monumentos de piedra de la prehistoria: Menhires, Dólmenes, Cromlechs, Alineamientos ¿Qué son y en qué se diferencian?
SOURCES
Luc Laporte, Jean-Marc Large, et al. eds., Megaliths of the World
João Caninas, Telmo Pereira, Paulo Félix, Isabel Gaspar, eds., Tumuli and Megaliths in Eurasia
Bettina Schulz Paulsson, Time and Stone: The Emergence and Development of Megaliths and Megalithic Societies in Europe
Wikipedia, Megalito
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