Megalith: Ancient Monument (Work class 2) Cultura inglesa (Minerva Gómez)

In the Atlantic coast we can found some big stones called megaliths. About them,
there are a lot of doubts: They are some buildings or they art? What was its function?
When, why and how they were made?

The Neolithic (6000-2000 B.C) is characterized by the change from one nomadic
life to a sedentary one. There is also, a revolutionary invention which changes the course
of history: the agriculture is born. That means that there were new needs, for example
the need for an identity as a tribe or burying their relatives.

The megaliths of Carnac. They are called Menhir, that means tall stones. They
have the singularity that their 3000 stones are making an alignment and they are the
largest standing stones of this type in the world. They are about 2 km long. Its
arrangement is complex and respects geographical accidents such hills or rivers. They
form a long corridor of uncarved stones by the outside and carved inside. Its meaning is
uncertain. There is few information about the ways of life of these types of Neolithic
villages.

Dolmen. Are complex structures made with some standing stones and a big
stone over them. To do this kind of monuments, meant a lot of time and a lot of
population. Inside the dolmen were collective buries, so they are huge tombs.

Stonehenge. It is one of the most well-known megalithic monuments in the world.

It is made by huge rocks that form a big circle. Built about 3000-1500 BC , probably its
function was lo be a kind of astronomical observatory which helped in the agriculture
works. Nowadays there are a lot of people fascinated for this building.

Cairn of Gavrinis. Is located in the department of Morbihan, in the region of

Brittany, France. It was built around 3500 B.C and it is particularly special because inside
it there are sculptured rocks with lines. May be are inspired in sea waves.

We are in front of the culture’s origin. Our ancestors begin to live in a sedentary way,
that’s mean to bury their ancestors. But why they built so huge structures?

There are a lot of theories about, a lot of people are fascinated for these constructions. I
think that they had time and enough intelligence for build these places. Maybe they
wanted to show they were strong enough and they could manage the elements. But the
truth is that all these hidden secrets will remain under the earth for ever.