Dolmens

JMSE

Whats the theory on how dolmens came to be exactly where they are.

1. Did they wait until somebody had died before they went at building one, if so then they might have needed months to get the stones in place

2. Did they find the top biggest stone first and locate the tomb right there.

3. Did they prop them first with timber and then set fire to the timber?

JMSE

ok cheeseburgers, someones gotta know how cheeseburgers get made ?????

newmug

Dunno lad.

I always wondered why people assume they're tombs. To me, they look more like the work of Irelands first cowboy builders!

"Ah yea, a grand one-room house there, a cave-away-from-a-cave, roof guaranteed in all weather, en-suite, the whole lot! Only 30 years of your cattle and women, sure its a bargain!

And the poor fcuker who fell for it died in his new house trying to pay it off. Hence the bone finds!

JMSE

Thanks newmug, was beginning to think that this was a contemplative forum .

*gets coat and backs out thru the shop door, closing it again

cue

Strangely, no-one really knows what the purpose of dolmens are. Bones have been found in some (not all) of them so they may have been used as burial chambers. Some may have been covered with a cairn (I think Poulnabrone is an example of this). There are plenty of theories involving ley lines, spiritual practices, acoustic chambers, tribal gathering spots, land ownership of kings etc.
Good questions JMSE!

Wibbs

Maybe some were used for sky burials too?

Froggy7

I thought they were built for tourists!

Degsy

Purely for the craic..early "follies" if you will.

Arranging stones in various patterns has been a feature of mankind since ever and it still is to this day.

dr gonzo

JMSE wrote: »

Whats the theory on how dolmens came to be exactly where they are.

1. Did they wait until somebody had died before they went at building one, if so then they might have needed months to get the stones in place

2. Did they find the top biggest stone first and locate the tomb right there.

3. Did they prop them first with timber and then set fire to the timber?

Theres a certain amount of evidence for reburial but your first question is spot on, were they built with a single individual in mind after they died etc. I dont think anyone can really answer 1 and 2 but as far as im aware the running theory for question 3 is they built an earthen mound around the support stones to get the top stone up.

I think the really interesting thing is the burial statistics for these monuments like a lot of megaliths are pretty inconsistant with the likely contemporary population levels sooo who got in and what for...?

Ahhh i love the mystery in archaeology!

Wibbs

The population disparity may have a simple and obvious explanation. They're like Victorian mausoleums. Most people were buried in the ground, important people(and their families) were interred in fancy mausoleums. So dolmen folks were just their important people.

Are the remains when found articulated, or do they show ritual defleshing or reburial? Is there a gender angle? Has anyone looked at the capstones(if that's what they're called?). Do they show any sign of sky burial or even burning?

The other problem I imagine is how long they've been around for. They may have kicked off as one purpose, then because of their visibility in the landscape and cultural local importance get re used time and time again for slightly different reasons and in slightly different ways. IE they might start off as boundary markers/show of tribal/familial power with no grave connections. Then people bury or rebury important people beneath them to "add to their power" or somesuch. Then they become more associated with the dead/ancestors and get a new life as such.