Megalitismo Dolmen

The book came about due to the author's experience with regards to a very little discussed topic in Sicily: the existence of Dolmens in the land. The archaeological proofs which the author has been able to collect show that at least one of these dolmens in particular, that of ‘Cava dei Servi’, was used as a burial place between the end of the third and first half of second millennium B.C. The first chapter concerns the origin of these enormous European monuments that according to the Australian archaeologist V. Gordon Childe, were built by mythical megalithic missionaries. The perfection of the absolute dating system (C-14), has proved that the oldest megalithic tombs originated in central-north Europe around 4500 B.C. The author therefore describes the principal characteristics of the dolmens (and the menhirs and cromlechs) of Brittany and United Kingdom and reflects on the Mediterranean dolmens (Spain, Balearic Island, Sardinia, Apulia). The chapter ends with the discovery of Sicily dolmens. Subsequently, the second chapter revolves around the discovery of Sicilian dolmens: ‘Monte Bubbonia’, ‘Cava dei Servi’, ‘Cava Lazzaro’ and ‘Avola’. Every dolmen differs from the other, but they all are classified by the European typology. In ‘Cava dei Servi’ the author was able to find a few earthenware fragments dated back to the early Bronze Age and anthropological remains which confirmed the burial purpose of the artifact. The dolmen of ‘Avola’, as found by the geological analysis conducted for the aims of this book is a natural construction on which the human hand interfered. In the third chapter, the author speculates on what could explain the disappearance of the great Maltese civilization which lived between 4000 B.C. and 2200 B.C., that of the people who built the megalithic temples of Tarxien. The archaeologist Themistocles Zammit attributed the disappearance of the "Culture" to an epidemic. In the late 50’s, J.D.Evans ascribed that an Apulian invasion occurred: this by the analogy of the Maltese dolmens with Apulians. The discovery of Sicilian dolmens, similar to the ones mentioned above, would disprove this theory…

Keçili and Bahşili erected stone monument complexes are situated in the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkish Thrace. These two sites are found roughly in the middle of the peninsula, on low hills with no view of the two seas Marmara or Aegean Sea. Right near the fresh water sources with fertile lands surrounding, they are situated in the most dense forest cover of the land. These two occurrences of erected stone monuments are not very far from each other. These standing stones are found on the localities marked as ancient graveyards on the old maps but only in Keçili locality we find a number of medieval ottoman gravestones with Arabic inscriptions on a separate sector of the site. Similar stones are called "martyr gravestones" by the local people not only in Turkish Thrace but on the Asian part facing the Gallipoli peninsula as well. Are these erected stones date to medieval (Byzantine or Ottoman) or nomadic cultures which later frequented these lands until they transformed to a sedentary life? This paper tries to find the answers to these questions.

A Anta dos Currais do Galhordas é um monumento megalítico composto por câmara poligonal, corredor e mamoa. A primeira campanha de escavação permitiu a identificação de algumas técnicas usadas na sua construção, bem como a recolha de diversos artefactos, nomeadamente material em pedra lascada (raro) e em pedra polida, placas de xisto (uma lisa e uma gravada) e vasos cerâmicos. No âmbito do estudo destes últimos procedeu-se à análise do conteúdo de um recipiente através de cromatografia gasosa com detecção por massa. Não se dispõe ainda de datações absolutas para a anta. Todavia, a tipologia dos recipientes cerâmicos aponta para uma cronologia que deverá andar próxima da transição do IV para o III milénio cal BC. Com os trabalhos realizados neste monumento -inscritos num plano de valorização patrimonial promovido pela Câmara Municipal de Castelo de Vide -pretende-se contribuir para um melhor conhecimento do fenómeno tumular megalítico, não só do Alto Alentejo, como da Península Ibérica em geral.

Research we are doing in the necropolis of los Algarbes (Tarifa, Cadiz), is providing us with an accurate understanding of the typology of construction systems, the rituals used,... In this line, one of the funerary structures in the necropolis most significant for its constructive characteristics corresponds to Structure1-2, related to a “burial of mixed construction”, that is reminiscent of dolmenic constructions. However, in this case, the corridor is excavated in the rock and the cover consists of orthostats. As a result of our recent research, we make a more precise description of the system of construction used in the 1-2 Structure, the origin of the raw materials and its contextualization within the necropolis.

Research we are doing in the necropolis of los Algarbes (Tarifa, Cadiz), is providing us with an accurate understanding of the typology of construction systems, the rituals used,... In this line, one of the funerary structures in the necropolis most significant for its constructive characteristics corresponds to Structure1-2, related to a “burial of mixed construction”, that is reminiscent of dolmenic constructions. However, in this case, the corridor is excavated in the rock and the cover consists of orthostats. As a result of our recent research, we make a more precise description of the system of construction used in the 1-2 Structure, the origin of the raw materials and its contextualization within the necropolis.

Resumen:
Las investigaciones que estamos desarrollando sobre la necr
ópolis de Los Algarbes (Tarifa, Cádiz),
nos están proporcionando un conocimiento preciso sobre la t
ipología de los sistemas constructivos, los rituales
empleados,... En esta línea, una de las estructuras fu
nerarias más significativas de la necrópolis por sus car
acte-
rísticas constructivas se corresponde con la Estructura
1-2, relacionada con una “sepultura de construcción
mixta”, que bien recuerdan a las construcciones dolménic
as. Pero que en este caso, el corredor está excavado en
la roca y la cubierta está formada por ortostatos. A
raíz de nuestras recientes investigaciones, realizamos
una
descripción más precisa sobre el sistema constructivo em
pleado en la Estructura 1-2, la procedencia de las
materias primas empleadas y su contextualización dentro
de la necrópolis.
Palabras Clave:
Necrópolis - cuevas artificiales - prehistoria - época
del Bronce - estrecho de Gibraltar.
Abstract:
Research we are doing in the necropolis of los Algarbes
(Tarifa, Cadiz), is providing us with an accurate
understanding of the typology of construction systems, the
rituals used,... In this line, one of the funerary
structures in the necropolis most significant for its c
onstructive characteristics corresponds to Structure1-2
,
related to a “burial of mixed construction”, that is rem
iniscent of dolmenic constructions. However, in this
case,
the corridor is excavated in the rock and the cover consi
sts of orthostats. As a result of our recent research
, we
make a more precise description of the system of constr
uction used in the 1-2 Structure, the origin of the raw
materials and its contextualization within the necropo
lis.
Key words:
Necropolis - artificial cave - prehistory - Bronze Ag
e - Strait of Gibraltar.

El dolmen del Llit de la Generala (Roses, Alt Empordà) es un sepulcro de corredor con cámara de tendencia subcircular y un corredor construido con muros de piedra seca. Aunque fue publicado por primera vez el año 1912 no se realizó en él una excavación sistemática hasta el año 2001, con motivo de su restauración. Neolítico reciente, sepulcro de corredor, Alt Empordà, excavación, restauración.