A dolmen ( / ˈ d ɒ l m ɛ n / ), or portal tomb, is a type of single-chamber tomb made of large stones. It usually has two or more upright stones that support a large flat stone on top, called a capstone or "table." Most dolmens were built during the Late Neolithic period (4000–3000 BCE). Sometimes, earth or smaller stones were added on top to form a burial mound. Small stones may be placed between the capstone and supporting stones to make the structure look even. Over time, the covering often eroded, leaving only the stone structure visible.

In Sumba (Indonesia), people still build dolmens today, making about 100 each year for shared graves based on family lines. The traditional village of Wainyapu has around 1,400 dolmens.

Etymology

The word "dolmen" became part of archaeology when Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne used it to describe large stone tombs in his book Origines gauloises (1796). He spelled it "dolmin," but the current spelling was introduced about 10 years later and became standard in French by around 1885. Some sources say the word comes from Breton, but the Oxford English Dictionary says it originated in "Modern French." It suggests that de la Tour d'Auvergne used the Cornish word "tolmên" for a cromlech but spelled it incorrectly as "dolmin." Other sources call "dolmen" a term used in continental Europe.

Today, "dolmen" is the common English word used in archaeology, even though more specific terms exist. The later Cornish word for a similar structure was "quoit," which comes from the English word for an object with a hole through the center. This connects to the Cornish word "tolmen," which is also the name of another monument called Mên-an-Tol ("stone with a hole" in Standard Written Form: Men An Toll).

In Irish, dolmens are called "dolmain." In other languages, they are known by many names, such as anta in Galician and Portuguese, Долмени (Dolmeni) in Bulgarian, Hünengrab or Hünenbett in German, hunebed in Afrikaans and Dutch, trikuharri in Basque, Adamra in Abkhaz, Ispun in Adyghe, dysse in Danish and Norwegian, dös in Swedish, 고인돌 (goindol) in Korean (meaning "propped stone"), and גַלעֵד (gale'ed) in Hebrew. In Portugal and Galicia, the word granja is sometimes used. Other names include anta and ganda. In Catalan-speaking areas, they are called dolmen or by names like cova ("cave"), caixa ("crate" or "coffin"), taula ("table"), arca ("chest"), cabana ("hut"), barraca ("hut"), llosa ("slab"), llosa de jaça ("pallet slab"), roca ("rock"), or pedra ("stone"). These names often include a second part, such as de l'alarb ("of the Arab"), del/de moro/s ("of the Moor/s"), del lladre ("of the thief"), del dimoni ("of the devil"), or d'en Rotllà/Rotllan/Rotlan/Roldan ("of Roland"). In the Basque Country, dolmens are linked to the jentilak, a group believed to be giants.

The German words Hünenbett and Hünengrab and the Dutch word hunebed all include the word Hüne or hune, meaning "giant." The suffixes bett/bed and grab mean "bed" or "grave," suggesting the idea of giants being buried there. In Welsh, the word cromlech was borrowed into English, and quoit is often used in Cornwall.

Western Europe

The oldest dolmens found in Western Europe are about 7,000 years old. Archaeologists are not sure who built the dolmens, but the structures are often linked to tombs or burial chambers. Human remains, sometimes found with artefacts, have been discovered near dolmen sites. Scientists can use radiocarbon dating to analyze the remains, but it is hard to tell if the remains are from the same time as when the stones were first placed.

In the early 20th century, before scientific dating methods were developed, Harold Peake suggested that the dolmens of Western Europe showed evidence of cultural diffusion from the eastern Mediterranean. His "prospector theory" claimed that people from the Aegean region traveled westward before 2200 BCE to find metal ores and brought the idea of megalithic architecture with them.

Middle East

Dolmens are found in the Levant, including areas along the Jordan Rift Valley in Upper Galilee (Israel, Palestine), the Golan Heights, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and southeast Turkey. In the Levant, dolmens are part of a tradition different from Europe’s, even though they are sometimes considered part of a larger pattern that spread from the Taurus Mountains to the Arabian Peninsula. These dolmens in the Levant date to the Early Bronze Age, not the Late Neolithic period. They are mostly located along the eastern edge of the Jordan Rift Valley and in the hills of the Galilee, often near early settlements from 3700–3000 BCE. Their placement is limited by local geology, which allowed the cutting of very large stone slabs. In the Levant, natural conditions influenced burial practices, leading to a variety of tomb types, with dolmens being one example.

Korea

Dolmens (go-in-dol in Korean) were built in Korea during the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age. About 40,000 dolmens can be found across the Korean Peninsula. In 2000, the dolmen groups in Jukrim-ri and Dosan-ri in Gochang, Hyosan-ri and Daesin-ri in Hwasun, and Bujeong-ri, Samgeori, and Osang-ri in Ganghwa were recognized as World Cultural Heritage sites. (See Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites.)

The many thousands of dolmens in Korea make up about 40% of all dolmens in the world. The Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa dolmen sites have more than 1,000 dolmens and are the places with the most dolmens in the world.

Dolmens are mostly found along the West Sea coast and near large rivers stretching from the Liaodong Peninsula in China’s Liaoning region to Jeollanam-do in South Korea. In North Korea, they are mainly near the Taedong and Jaeryeong Rivers. In South Korea, they are often found in large numbers in river basins, such as those of the Han and Nakdong Rivers, and along the west coast, including areas like Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province, Buan in North Jeolla Province, and Jeollanam-do. Dolmens are usually located on sedimentary plains, where they are arranged in rows that follow the direction of rivers or streams. In hilly areas, they are grouped in lines that follow the shape of the hills.

India

Also called Muniyaras, these dolmens date back to the Iron Age. These structures were burial chambers made of four stones placed upright and covered by a fifth stone called the capstone. Some dolmens have multiple burial chambers, while others have a square-shaped area carved into laterite and lined with granite slabs. These areas are also covered by capstones. Many dolmens are found near the old Siva temple (Thenkasinathan Temple) at Kovilkadavu on the banks of the River Pambar, as well as near Pius Nagar. Rock paintings on the south-western slope of the plateau overlooking the river also attract visitors.

In addition to Stone Age dolmens, many Iron Age dolmens exist in this region, especially on the left side of the Pambar River. These are identified by the use of carefully shaped granite slabs. One dolmen has a perfectly round hole, 28 centimeters wide, inside its underground chamber. This area has many types of dolmens. Most are above ground, with heights between 70 and 90 centimeters. Others are taller, with heights between 140 and 170 centimeters. One dolmen is especially long, reaching up to 350 centimeters. Fragments of burial urns found near the dolmens suggest that the shorter ones were used for burying people of high social status, while urns were used for commoners. Some dolmens with raised roofs may have been used as homes. However, the reasons why some people lived in cemeteries remain unclear.