megalith
Prehistoric monument stone
A megalith is a large stone used in prehistoric monuments—standing stones, stone circles, and burial chambers.
Stonehenge is built of megaliths.
The term comes from Greek words meaning "great stone." Megalithic architecture appears across cultures, from Britain to Korea, though the builders left no written records of their purposes.
Megalithic stone tomb
- cromlechMegalithic stone monument
- standing stonesUpright prehistoric monuments
- stone circleMegalithic monument in circular arrangement
- hengePrehistoric circular monument
tumulus · barrow · cairn · alignments · earthworks · burial mound · hillfort · cist
Day of maximum tilt
- equinoxSun crosses celestial midline
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- burialPlacing deceased underground
ancestors · sacrifice · pilgrimage · oracle · divination · astronomy · cosmology · sacred
Exceptionally large or significant
- massiveExtremely large and heavy
- toweringOf imposing height
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- immenseExtremely large in scope
enormous · ponderous · weighty · quarried · transported · erected · engineering feat · tonnage
Celtic spiritual leaders
- celtsPrehistoric beveled cutting tools
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- tribesAncestral social groups
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
folklore · mythology · shamanism · paganism · traditions · ceremonies · totems · oral history
Something hard to fathom
- unexplainedNot yet clarified
- lost civilizationAncient society now gone
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
- loreTraditional knowledge transmitted orally
Prehistoric megalithic circle
- CarnacBreton megalithic complex
- Göbekli TepeAncient megalithic ritual site
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- carbon-datingIsotope-based age measurement
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- fieldworkResearch conducted on location
survey · dig · lithics · potsherd · conservation · settlement · petroglyphs · epigraphy
dolmen
Megalithic stone tomb
- cromlechMegalithic stone monument
- standing stonesUpright prehistoric monuments
- stone circleMegalithic monument in circular arrangement
henge · tumulus · barrow · cairn · alignments · earthworks · burial mound · hillfort · cist · bluestone
solstice
Day of maximum tilt
- equinoxSun crosses celestial midline
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
burial · ancestors · sacrifice · pilgrimage · oracle · divination · astronomy · cosmology · sacred · worship
monumental
Exceptionally large or significant
immense · enormous · ponderous · weighty · quarried · transported · erected · engineering feat · tonnage · cyclopean
druids
Celtic spiritual leaders
- celtsPrehistoric beveled cutting tools
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- tribesAncestral social groups
heritage · folklore · mythology · shamanism · paganism · traditions · ceremonies · totems · oral history · sacred landscape
enigma
Something hard to fathom
- unexplainedNot yet clarified
- lost civilizationAncient society now gone
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
Stonehenge
Prehistoric megalithic circle
- CarnacBreton megalithic complex
- Göbekli TepeAncient megalithic ritual site
excavation
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- carbon-datingIsotope-based age measurement
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
fieldwork · survey · dig · lithics · potsherd · conservation · settlement · petroglyphs · epigraphy · trowel
- prehistorystone tools, Neolithic, Stone Age, caveman, cavemen
- ancient sitesPompeii, Stonehenge, pyramids, Colosseum, Giza
- Mega- Wordsmegabyte, megahertz, megaton, megawatt, megapixel
- stonestone, rock, boulder, pebble, slab
- ancient monumentsStonehenge, dolmen, stone circle, standing stone, henge
- ancient structuresdolmen, henge, barrow, cairn, tumulus
megalithpebble
Water-smoothed small rock
gravel · granule · particle · microstructure · cobble
megalithcarved stone
Rock shaped by chisel
dressed stone · ashlar · brick · masonry · polished marble