![]() In some cases the builders chose to shape as capstones large boulders that had been moved to their resting place by glaciers. The builders clearly chose what seem to have been the largest and chunkiest stones they could find, many of which were shaped before they were put in place. One of the most-distinctive and extraordinary aspects of dolmen monuments is the massive size of the stones-particularly the capstone or capstones-used in their construction. For that reason, dolmens are often referred to as chambered tombs, and archaeologists believe those collections of bones to be ancestral remains. Moreover, it was not uncommon for many people to have been buried in those monuments and their bones to have been mixed together in a communal deposit. When many dolmen sites were excavated, archaeologists determined that the chambers were often used for the burial of the dead. Some are the size of small boxes, while others are tall and long enough for people to not only stand but also walk and move around inside them. The chambers of dolmens can vary in both shape and size. That collection of stones creates an enclosed chamber area. All consist of a large capstone or capstones supported by a number of smaller upright stones. There is considerable diversity in those monument types, but they nevertheless share a number of common characteristics. The Breton word dolmen was originally used to describe the wide variety of stone monuments or, “megaliths” (meaning large stones), being discovered across the world. Outside Europe, dolmens were built over a broad date range, and they continue to be constructed in some parts of the world-such as the island of Sumba, Indonesia-up to the present day. Sites in central and southern Europe were constructed at a similar date, but that corresponds to the middle or late Neolithic in those areas. ![]() The dolmens of northwest Europe were built in the early Neolithic Period (New Stone Age), which began in Brittany about 5000 bce and in Britain, Ireland and southern Scandinavia about 4000 bce. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. ![]() ![]() COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. ![]()
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