A dolmen, also called a 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, from about 4000 to 3000 BCE. Sometimes, these tombs were covered with earth or smaller stones to form a burial mound. Small stones may be placed between the capstone and the upright stones to make the structure look level. Over time, the covering often wore away, leaving only the stone framework 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" was first used in archaeology by Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne in his book Origines gauloises (1796). He spelled it "dolmin," but the modern spelling "dolmen" became standard in French by about 1885. Some sources say the word comes from Breton, but the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as a "Modern French" term. It is believed that de la Tour d'Auvergne used the Cornish word for a cromlech, "tolmên," but spelled it incorrectly as "dolmin." Other sources call "dolmen" a "continental term."

Over time, "dolmen" has replaced "cromlech" as the common English term for these structures, even though more technical terms exist. The later Cornish term for these monuments was "quoit," which comes from the English word for an object with a hole, preserving the original Cornish word "tolmen." Another similar monument is called Mên-an-Tol, meaning "stone with a hole" in Standard Written Form.

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, and "Adamra" in Abkhaz. In Danish and Norwegian, they are called "dysse," and in Swedish, "dös." In Korean, they are called "고인돌" (goindol), meaning "propped stone." In Hebrew, they are called "גַלעֵד" (galead).

In Portugal and Galicia, the word "granja" is sometimes used, along with "anta" and "ganda." In Catalan-speaking areas, they are often called "dolmen," but also have folk names like "cova" (cave), "caixa" (crate or coffin), "taula" (table), and "pedra" (stone). These names are often combined with other words, such as "de l'alarb" (of the Arab) or "del dimoni" (of the devil). In the Basque Country, dolmens are linked to the jentilak, a group believed to be giants.

The German terms "Hünenbett" and "Hünengrab" and the Dutch term "hunebed" all include the word "Hüne" or "hune," meaning "giant." The suffixes "bett" (bed) and "grab" (grave) suggest these structures were thought to be the resting places of giants. In Welsh, the word "cromlech" was borrowed into English, and "quoit" is still used in Cornwall.

Western Europe

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

In the early 20th century, before modern dating methods were available, Harold Peake suggested that the dolmens of Western Europe showed evidence of cultural exchange from the eastern Mediterranean. His theory, called the "prospector theory," claimed that people from the Aegean region traveled westward before 2200 BCE to search for metal ores. These individuals may have brought the idea of building large stone structures with them.

Middle East

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

Korea

Dolmens (called go-in-dol in Korean) were built in Korea during the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age. About 40,000 dolmens have been 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 tens of thousands of dolmens on the Korean Peninsula make up about 40% of all dolmens in the world. The Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa dolmen sites together have more than 1,000 dolmens and have the largest number of dolmens in the world.

Dolmens are mostly found along the West Sea coastal area and on large rivers that stretch from the Liaoning region of China (the Liaodong Peninsula) to Jeollanam-do in South Korea. In North Korea, they are mainly located near the Taedong and Jaeryeong Rivers. In South Korea, they are densely found 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 often grouped in rows that run parallel to rivers or streams on flat sedimentary plains. In hilly areas, they are arranged in lines that follow the direction of the hills.

India

Also called Muniyaras, these dolmens are from the Iron Age. These structures were burial chambers made with 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 dug into laterite and lined with granite slabs. These are also covered with capstones. Many dolmens near the old Siva temple (Thenkasinathan Temple) in Kovilkadavu, located along the River Pambar, and around Pius Nagar, as well as rock paintings on the south-western slope of the plateau overlooking the river, have drawn visitors.

In addition to Stone Age dolmens, many Iron Age dolmens exist in this area, especially on the left side of the Pambar River, as shown by the use of carefully shaped granite slabs. At least one dolmen has a perfectly round hole measuring 28 cm in diameter inside its underground chamber. This region has many types of dolmens. Most are above ground, with heights between 70 and 90 cm. Another type is taller, with heights from 140 to 170 cm. There is also an above-ground dolmen with a length of up to 350 cm. Fragments of burial urns found near some dolmens suggest that the shorter dolmens were used for people of high social status, while urns were used for common people. Dolmens with raised roofs may have been used as homes. However, the reasons why some people lived in cemeteries are not fully understood.