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A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF MEGALITHIC TOMBS
8.
DOLMEN: THE FIRST MEGALITHIC CHAMBERS
By
Maximilian O.
1993-April 25, 2006©
All rights reserved
Conclusion
By definition the urdolmen should be the most
primitive and ancient architectural chamber form (e.g. Schuldt 1972;
Knöll 1975). Indeed, the structure is primitive. Were it not for the use of the
common use of the bulky glacial erratics, the structure would be
indistinguishable from a cist. It uses only five stones: a pair of lengthwise
placed side-stones, a heavy pair of end-stones tightly wedged between the
side-stones, and the heavy capstone. The lengthwise placement of the
side-stones must have been a practical solution for the inherently dangerous
problem of sealing the chamber with a massive capstone. Sunk into the old
subsoil, the single pair of side-stones, supported by large end-stones, kept
the chamber height to a minimum and simultaneously made the sides sturdy enough
to prevent collapse when the chamber was capped. On the other hand, the
relatively enormous mass of the capstone was necessary in order to create
structural stability once the chamber was capped successfully. These true,
closed urdolmen are presumably succeeded by open dolmen with top-entrance,
followed by front-entrance urdolmen. The presence and location of the
entrance is the most important time marker.
Given the limitations of the urdolmen's basic
design concept, the earliest chambers were naturally limited to rectangular and
trapezoidal form. The choice between rectangular and trapezoidal is dictated by
the shape of the available stones, especially the capstone. Thus the difference
between rectangular and trapezoidal shape is neither culturally nor
chronologically very significant. The Swedish square-dolmen and the
polygonal-dolmen of Sweden and Denmark are a different story.
The dolmen's orientation within a long-mound
appears to be another useful time marker. Traditionally, it has been reasoned
that closed dolmen, oriented parallel to the mound's axis, are older than those
oriented perpendicular - a view that is rejected by Hoika (1990b). But an
analysis of Knöll's (1976 Table 1-2) 54 urdolmen with collared and lugged
flasks, considered to be among the oldest pottery occurring in megalithic
tombs, seems to confirm this long-standing assumption. Of the 54 chambers 23
were identifiable as either closed or open, having either a parallel or
perpendicular orientation in a long-mound. Of these 23, two thirds had no
entrance and were parallel to the long-mound's axis. Looking beyond Knöll's
data of dolmen datable through the EN flasks, one can find exceptions.
Surprisingly, they seem to prove the rule.
Multiple side-stone dolmen have a
perpendicular orientation in long-mounds. All side-stones are upright. The
chamber form is roughly rectangular, trapezoidal or polygonal. Based on the
traditional typology one can distinguish between extended- and grand-dolmen.
The latter are the largest dolmen. Polygonal dolmen usually have one capstone.
Extended-dolmen with parallel capstones have four to six side-stones and two
capstones. Larger chambers sometimes have two end-stones at the opposite end of
the entrance. Grand-polygonal-dolmen usually have six to eight side-stones and
from one to three capstones, although multiple capstones are rather rare.
Grand-dolmen have six to eight side-stones and two to four capstones.
Please send comments or
questions to Max Baldia.