Megalithic buildings of the ancient world. Megalithic buildings. The magical architecture of megalithic structures

The term "megaliths" (English - megaliths) comes from the Greek words μέγας - large, λίθος - stone. Megaliths are structures made of stone blocks or blocks, from different rocks, of various modifications, sizes and shapes, combined and installed in such an order that these blocks / blocks represent a single monumental structure.

Stone blocks in megalithic structures weigh from a few kilograms to hundreds and even thousands of tons. Individual structures are so huge and unique that it is not at all clear how they were built. Also in the scientific world there is no consensus regarding the technologies of the ancient builders.

Some megaliths seemed to be carved (processed) with some tools, some objects seemed to be cast from liquid materials, and some objects have traces of clearly artificial processing of unknown technologies.

Megalithic culture is represented in absolutely all countries of the world, on land and under water (and…probably not only on our planet..). The age of megaliths is different, the main period of megalithic construction is determined from the 8th to the 1st millennium BC, although some objects have a much more ancient origin, which is often denied by official science. Megalithic monuments of a later period - 1-2 millennium AD are also widely represented.

Classification and types of megaliths

According to their classification, megaliths are divided into separate categories:

• megalithic complexes (ancient cities, settlements, temples, fortress-forts, ancient
• observatories, palaces, towers, walls, etc.);
• pyramids and pyramidal mountain complexes;
• mounds, ziggurats, kofuns, cairns, tumuluses, tombs, galleries, chambers, etc.;
• dolmens, triliths, etc.;
• menhirs (standing stones, stone alleys, statues, etc.);
• seids, blue stones, tracker stones, cup stones, altar stones, etc.;
• stones / rocks with ancient images - petroglyphs;
• rock, cave and underground structures;
• stone labyrinths (surads);
• geoglyphs;
• and etc.

There are many hypotheses about the purpose of megaliths, however, there are some features that are characteristic of many megaliths of the world, regardless of their classification, modification, size, etc. - this is their external similarity, location (geolocation), geophysical characteristics and belonging to some highly developed civilizations. The study of (sites of) megaliths by methods of geophysics and dowsing began in the 20th century. During the studies, it was absolutely precisely established that the places for the construction of megaliths were not chosen by chance, very often megaliths are located at places (near) dowsing anomalies (in geopathogenic zones of different frequencies - near or on a tectonic fault in the earth's crust).

Thus, it can be assumed that the generator of these waves of different frequencies are tectonic faults, and stone structures in this case, they play the role of multifunctional acoustic devices resonating with this frequency.

It turns out that megaliths can influence human bioenergetics! This allows you to effectively correct the human biofield by influencing both its energy points of the body and individual systems.

In ancient times, dedicated priests were engaged in such practices, and this was practiced with the help of various rites and rituals.

With the help of stones, ancient priests, shamans, healers communicated with the spirits of departed ancestors, with the gods, received answers they were interested in, treated illnesses, etc., and also made offerings-requirements (not sacrifices, which appeared later and most likely not by the creators of megaliths). Knowledge about this was first distorted, then completely erased.

Almost everywhere near the megaliths there was or is water (any reservoir, stream, spring, etc.)! Often the orientation of megaliths is just directed towards the water, this is especially clearly seen in the example of most of the dolmens Krasnodar Territory, which in turn, not without reason, are the standard in the dolmen structure.

It is also worth mentioning the orientation of many megaliths to the cardinal points, taking into account some astronomical features.

Often, when studying megaliths, one gets the impression that over time the builders seem to have lost the ability to erect stone buildings, and over time, megaliths became like only distant copies of the original structures.

Perhaps, for some reason, the ancients lost that knowledge and technology, and most importantly, the need for megalith building was also lost over time.

However, despite the time, megalith building in the world continues to exist. Even today in Sumatra (Indonesia), people continue to create funerary stone monuments outwardly similar to ancient megaliths, thus preserving the memory and customs of their ancestors.

In many places of the world, traditions, legends and stories have been preserved that many megaliths are associated with the reincarnations of dead people.

Many megaliths are closely related to astrology, in connection with this, a new direction of researchers of antiquities has arisen - archaeoastronomy. It is archaeoastronomers who are engaged in the study of the astronomical aspect in megalithic construction. It was archaeoastronomers who proved many hypotheses regarding the purpose of many ancient stone structures.

Some megalithic structures were created to determine the major solar and lunar cycles of the year. These objects served as calendars and observatories for observing celestial bodies.

Megaliths - a legacy of ancient civilizations

Unfortunately, in our time, in all corners of the world, for various reasons, the trend of destroying ancient monuments continues, but all over the world, new finds of ancient structures also continue to be discovered.

Many studies and the objects themselves are stubbornly hushed up by official departments, or dates are deliberately incorrectly determined and the reports and conclusions of scientists are falsified, because. many objects simply do not fit into the generally accepted chronology of our civilization.

Megaliths are the very objects that connect us with the distant past, with the deep past, and it can definitely be argued that they have not yet revealed all their secrets to people ...

Around the world, you can see incredible boulders that have stood on Earth for thousands of years. They were installed long before people began to make any historical records, and therefore who built them and why remains unknown. It is believed that some dolmens were used as burial places, others for stargazing. In our review, the most interesting megalithic structures and related stories.

1. Stone Circle Beltani

Found in the northwest of Ireland, near the town of Rafo, the Beltany stone circle consists of 64 stones arranged in a circle 45 meters in diameter around a mound. It is believed that the stones (which are mostly 2 meters high) were installed around 1400 - 800 BC.

Preliminary exploration of the site appears to have taken place in the early 20th century, when a certain Oliver Davies stated that "non-scientific excavations have recently been carried out at the site of the stone circle, after which everything was left in a terrible confusion." Despite the excavations, almost nothing is known about Beltani. The word "Beltany" possibly comes from the word "Beltane", which was the name of a pagan holiday.

"Beltane", in turn, comes from "Baal Tinne", which means "Baal's fire". During this festival, bonfires were lit on the top of the mountain to "restore the power of the Sun". Other theories claim that the Beltany Circle is similar to the circles at Carrowmore Cemetery, hinting that the site was used during burial procedures.

2. Megaliths of the Bada Valley

In the Bada Valley in Indonesia, one can find well-preserved sculptural monuments carved from solid stone blocks. Due to their unusual remarkable appearance and the craftsmanship of unknown creators, one would think it would be fairly easy to determine when and why these megaliths were created. However, historians even find it difficult to answer how old they are, not to mention what they were made for. When trying to question the locals about their purpose, the invariable answer is always that the stones "have always been there." \

Although no archaeological evidence has yet been found as to the purpose of these megaliths, the locals have their own legends. Some believe the megaliths date back to the time of human sacrifice, others say they exist to ward off evil spirits.

The most interesting theories say that these are criminals who have turned to stone or that the stones are able to move on their own. Of particular intrigue is the fact that the megaliths are made of stone, which is not found anywhere in the area.

3. Spirit wheel

Also known as the "Wheel of Giants", the Wheel of Spirits is a large circular megalithic structure near the Sea of ​​Galilee. It looks like a giant stone wheel with inner rings and "spokes" that connect them. Right in the middle of the inner ring is a burial place. Not only are archaeologists unsure that this burial site was made at the same time as the wheel, further study of the Spirit Wheel has shown that there were in fact no burials at the site.

It is believed that once valuable artifacts were located in this place, since there is evidence that the excavation site was looted. As for the proposed features, archaeologists do not believe that the site was built for habitation or defense. Some believe it was a calendar, given how the sunrise at the solstices aligns with the "spokes" of the wheel.

4. Rudston Monolith

The Rudston Monolith is the tallest menhir in the whole of Great Britain, which is located in the village of Radston in the church cemetery. This impressive stone, 7.6 meters high, was probably erected around 1600 BC. Given the age and fame of the menhir in the village, it is not surprising that there are a lot of legends among the locals about its origin.

One legend claims that the monolith was a spear created by the devil to attack the church. Fortunately for him, he allegedly missed and the spear hit the cemetery instead of the church. As for the archaeological evidence of its origin, Sir William Strickland excavated and found that the monolith is half underground, i.e. it is at least 2 times higher than it is visible from the outside. He also found a huge number of skulls, potentially hinting at a sacrificial or religious purpose for the monolith.

5. Pipers and the Merry Maidens

Located in Cornwall, The Pipers and The Merry Maidens are separate megalithic monuments. "Pipers" consists of two standing stones, while "Jolly Maidens" located a short distance from them form a stone circle. The circle is completely complete, and on its eastern side is the entrance to the entire structure, which may hint at the astronomical purpose of the megaliths.

The area around these stone formations replete with burial sites, which may be due to the fact that the stones had something to do with spiritual or funeral procedures. Local legend claims that two pipers once played for the dancing maidens on a Sunday, which was forbidden. As a result, they petrified on the spot.

6. Turua stone

A beautiful sculptured stone in the early Celtic style can be found in County Galway, Ireland. Turua Stone was once located within an Iron Age ring fort called the Rath of Feerwore. The upper half of the stone is covered with traditional Celtic abstract patterns made using the La Tène technique.

However, given that the stone has a slightly phallic shape, some sources claim that it may have been used in fertility rites. However, the name "Turoe" comes from "Cloch an Tuair Rua" ("Red Pasture Stone"), leading some to believe that the red symbolism is indicative of sacrifices performed in front of the Turua Stone. Others believe that the stone originally comes from France and only then was transported to Ireland.

7. Bulls of Guisando

Found in the Spanish province of Ávila, Spain, the "Bulls of Guisando" are a strange group of four bull statues carved in stone. They are part of a group of 400 similarly carved animals called verraco that date back to around the fourth century BC.

Even though "verraco" means "boars", the statues come in many different forms, such as these bulls. Four bulls are made in different poses, so they look like a group of bulls grazing in a field. It is believed that they were once horned, but under the influence atmospheric phenomena the horns have disappeared over the centuries.

Archaeologists do not know why verracos were made, but speculate (because such sculptures are usually found in places where they can be easily discovered) that they had a religious element and may have served to protect cities and farms from evil spirits.

8. Gray sheep

The "Grey Sheep" on Dartmoor, England is a rare occurrence among megaliths, as it is not one, but two stone rings right next to each other. Both circles are made of 30 stones, and their diameter is approximately 33 meters. During the excavation of the circles, a thin layer of charcoal was discovered, from which it follows that a fire once burned often in this place. Why they did it in stone circles is a mystery.

Some argue that the circles were used to communicate with the world of spirits - in one of them there were living people, in the other it was intended for spirits. Others pay less attention to the spiritual element, stating that these two circles served for a ritual during which men were in one circle and women in the other. Still others believe that the circles could be used as a meeting place for two neighboring tribes.

As with many other mysterious structures, the Gray Sheep have their own myths. One of them says that once a farmer who moved to Dartmoor criticized the choice of sheep at the local market. After drinking ale in a tavern, the locals convinced him that they had fine sheep to sell. They led him to a misty hollow where the farmer allegedly saw the silhouettes of a herd. He bought sheep, and the next morning, when he woke up, he found that he had actually bought the Gray Sheep.

9. Dromberg

Also known as the "Altar of the Druids" among the locals, Dromberg is a stone circle of 17 menhirs. While its exact origin is relatively unknown, there is some evidence as to why it was built. One of the stones is oriented in such a way that it coincides with sunset during the winter solstice.

During excavations in the Dromberg area, something even more interesting was discovered: the remains of a cremated person in a broken pot. The age of this burial was determined from 1100 BC. before 800 BC No one knows why a person was buried in such a peculiar way, but it hints at ritual purposes. In addition, there is evidence that people lived near Dromberg.

10. Deer stones

Deer stones, which are found throughout Northern Mongolia, are amazing carved megaliths, which are often always found around mounds. The height of these megaliths (which are this moment about 1200 were found) is usually between 1 meter and 5 meters. They are believed to have been made around 1000 BC.

What makes these stones particularly interesting is that they depict deer. On the most ancient stones deer are depicted in "usual poses". But as the years passed, deer soaring in the sky began to be depicted on the stones. Further, deer began to be depicted interacting with the Sun, for example, holding it on their horns. Interestingly, the remains of warriors with deer tattoos were also found in Northern Mongolia.

IN stone circle an ancient cemetery, in a place of cult of the old, forgotten and eternal gods, pulsing with ancient magic and power, Wall Climber raised his hands and a bloody knife. And he screamed. jubilant. wildly. Inhuman.
Everything around was frozen in horror.
Andrzej Sapkowski "God's Warriors"

Among the windy wastelands, above the heather, under the low restless sky - hieroglyphs on gray stone. Erased by time, lost, alien to our world, thrown into it from another, unknown reality, separated by the abyss of centuries. Fragments of forgotten eras bearing the seal of eternity, survived more than one generation of legends, in which there is no longer a drop of truth. But still full of strange power and invincible greatness. Awe-inspiring even now. Megaliths.

Megaliths ("large stones") are usually referred to as prehistoric structures of huge stone blocks connected without the use of mortar. But this definition is very imprecise. A significant part of the archaeological sites classified as megaliths, in the strict sense, are not structures at all, since they consist of a single monolith or several slabs that are not connected to each other.

In addition, the stones of megalithic structures are not always large. Finally, megaliths often include some buildings built already in historical time, but either with the use of cyclopean blocks (the temple of Jupiter in Baalbek), or without the use of mortar (Machu Picchu in Peru, 16th century).

What then unites megaliths? Perhaps monumentality and a halo of mystery. Megalith - the creation of a departed, often already nameless people. This is a message from an unimaginably distant "pre-legendary" past. Monument to an unknown builder.

ETERNAL STONES

Alien, surrealistic, contrary to all known principles of architecture, the appearance of megaliths feeds the vast “modern mythology”, full of Atlanteans, Hyperboreans and other representatives of highly developed civilizations that have sunk into oblivion. But there are at least two reasons not to take such speculation seriously. Firstly, they still do not give an intelligible explanation for the appearance of megaliths. Secondly, the real secrets of history are more interesting than the imaginary ones.

The simplest megaliths, thus, which cannot yet be considered structures, include the sacred stones of seida and menhirs - oblong, roughly processed blocks vertically stuck into the ground, chipped from the rock. A little later, they are replaced by orthostats, which are distinguished by a flat shape and the presence of at least one carefully smoothed edge, on which magical signs were drawn or carved.

Single menhirs and seids, as a rule, served as objects of worship. Near the largest in England, the Radston monolith, 7.6 meters high, decorated with petrified dinosaur footprints, sacrifices were made. On the plains, ice blocks have always attracted attention and, quite likely, could be considered the home of the spirit or the weapon of the first ancestor. Smaller menhirs usually served as headstones for leaders. In any case, it was for this purpose that the last of them was installed under the camera at the beginning of the last century in Indonesia. The largest cluster of 3,000 orthostats is the Karnak stones in Brittany, a prehistoric cemetery.

In some cases, menigirs were placed in a group, forming a circle of cromlech marking the boundaries of the cult place. Often, in the center of the decorative fence, a platform lined with stone was found, on which the bodies of the dead were burned or animals and captives were sacrificed. Ceremonies, meetings, festivities and other social events could also be held here. Cults have changed. Cromlechs are more durable than religions.

The use of megalithic structures as observatories is not excluded. To accurately determine the position of the Moon and the Sun (from the shadow), unshakable landmarks were required. Menhirs arranged in a circle served this role. It should be noted that observatories in the Middle Ages had a similar device.

Already in antiquity, people strove for diversity and were not afraid of experiments. An epochal step forward, a real breakthrough in stone architecture steel taulas - structures made of a large stone hoisted onto a small one. Then triliths appeared - arches of three stones - the beauty and pride of Stonehenge. The stability and durability of these structures led primitive builders to the idea of ​​building dolmens - the first stone buildings in the history of mankind.

With dolmens, as, indeed, with the rest of the simplest megaliths, a lot of mysteries are connected. For example, they can never be associated with any particular archaeological culture - that is, with an ancient people whose migrations are tracked by scientists on characteristic ceramics, arrowheads and other finds. The stone does not give out the age of the building, it does not say anything about the creators. As a rule, it is possible to determine the date of the appearance of a dolmen only with an accuracy of several centuries. And for such a period of time the population of the country was replaced more than once. The artifacts found in the structure and around it do not say anything, since it is known that megaliths, passing from hand to hand, remained “in operation” for millennia.

The circumstance that similar, almost identical megaliths are scattered over a vast area - from the Caucasus to Portugal and from the Orkney Islands to Senegal, can also be rather puzzling. In this regard, even a version was put forward about a certain “dolmen culture”, whose representatives once inhabited all these territories. But the hypothesis was not confirmed. No traces of such a people have been found. Moreover, it was found that the age of two identical, adjacent dolmens can differ by a couple of thousand years.

In fact, the similarity of dolmens from different countries is explained by the fact that the idea lying on the surface naturally occurred to many people. Any child could make a "house" by placing four flat stones on the edge and placing the fifth on them. Or cover the hole in the stone with a flat block (trough-shaped dolmen). Admiring his creation, the young architect grew up, became a leader and encouraged his fellow tribesmen to build a life-size structure.

One thing can be said with certainty: the appearance of the first megaliths is associated with the transition of the population to a settled way of life. Wandering hunters had no desire to turn over the blocks encountered during the migrations. And the groups of people were too small to carry out large-scale work. The first farmers had the opportunity to engage in capital construction. Only experience was missing. And for a long time nothing better than to dig two stones into the ground and put a third on them, they did not come to mind for a long time.

Apparently, the dolmens were crypts. In some of them, the remains of hundreds of people were found. Decayed bones formed layer after layer, and new graves were dug out right in the resulting mass. Other dolmens are completely empty. Probably, over the past millennia, someone has taken the trouble to clean them up.

But sooner or later, the construction of simple stone boxes ceased to bring satisfaction. The dolmen is effective enough to glorify an individual clan, but too small to become the pride and cult center of an entire tribal union. People already wanted more. At least in terms of size.

Separate dolmens began to line up in a long corridor, often with side branches. Sometimes two corridors connected by passages were built. Natural slabs were difficult to match in shape, and for the construction of "walls" masonry was used, as in composite dolmens, or solid polished blocks, as in tiled ones.

But even in this case, the structure did not seem majestic enough. Therefore, a colossal cairn, an artificial structure in the form of a pile of stones, was poured over the "multi-serial" dolmens. In order to prevent the pyramid from sinking, it was “supported” along the perimeter by a ring of orthostats. If the belt was not one, it turned out something like a ziggurat. The scale of Neolithic megalomania can already be judged from the fact that such structures, which have long taken the form of rolling hills, were operated as quarries in modern times for decades before workers discovered the inner chambers.

The most impressive of the Neolithic monuments are now called "corridor tombs" or "megalithic temples." But the same structure could combine functions or change them over time. In any case, mounds were ill-suited for performing rituals. It was too cramped inside. Therefore, cairns continued to coexist with cromlechs until people learned how to build real temples, under the arches of which not only priests, but also believers could fit.

The era of megaliths, which began in prehistoric times, has no clear boundaries. It did not end, but only, as construction technologies improved, it gradually faded away. Even in relatively later eras, when the methods of erecting an arch became known, and buildings were built from hewn stone and brick, the demand for giant blocks did not disappear. They continued to be used, but rather as a decorative element. And even knowing how to fasten stones with mortar, architects did not always find it necessary to do this. After all, polished stones, fitted to each other, equipped with protrusions and grooves, looked better. Finally, even an untreated block sometimes turned out to be in place. The boulder that serves as the basis for the equestrian statue of Peter I in St. Petersburg is a typical megalith.

SECRETS OF THE BIG STONE

The question remains "how". How did people deliver huge stones without heavy equipment, how did they lift them, how did they cut them? It is these riddles that inspire the authors of alternative hypotheses. Which, however, is based on a banal lack of imagination. It is difficult for an unprepared person to imagine how barbarians cut a giant block with stone tools and manually set it in place. To imagine how all this is unknown why, in an unknown way, the Atlanteans who have gone to nowhere are doing it, anyone can do it.

But the alternative reasoning contains a fundamental error. With cranes and diamond saws, we do not use huge stone monoliths. It's irrational. More convenient materials are now available. Megaliths were built by people who simply were not yet able to build otherwise.

The stone is really difficult to work with other stone or copper. Therefore, only in the age of iron did they begin to build from relatively compact hewn "bricks". After all, the smaller the block, the larger its relative surface. So the Egyptians did not at all seek to complicate their work by using one and a half and two-ton blocks for the construction of pyramids, which, of course, were not easy to transport and lift. On the contrary, they made it as easy as possible. Indeed, with a decrease in blocks, the cost of their manufacture would increase sharply, while transportation costs would decrease slightly.

The previous weight would have to be transported. The creators of megaliths reasoned the same way.

Estimating the complexity of a task "by eye" often leads to errors. It seems that the work of the builders of Stonehenge was enormous, but, obviously, the costs of building the smallest of the Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids were incomparably higher. In turn, all the pyramids of Egypt, taken together, took four times less work than just one channel - a 700-kilometer "understudy" of the Nile bed. This was truly a massive project! The Egyptians built pyramids in free time. For the soul.

Was it difficult to hew and grind a 20-ton slab? Yes. But every peasant or hunter in the Stone Age during his life between work, in the evenings making the necessary tools, brought about 40 square meters of stone almost to a mirror shine, choosing the hardest of them if possible. rocks: only diamond cannot be processed by chipping and grinding on wet sand.

It seems difficult to deliver huge stones not only without equipment, but also without horses, even without a wheel. Meanwhile, under Peter the Great, frigates were transported in this way along the route of the future White Sea Canal. Peasants and soldiers pulled the ships along wooden rails, laying wooden skating rinks. Moreover, more than once the cargo had to be dragged onto multi-meter cliffs. In such cases, it was necessary to build a bast, and sometimes use counterweights in the form of cages with stones. But, when giving the order, the tsar probably did not think long, since it was a question of a completely ordinary operation. It also seemed to the Spaniards both faster and safer to drag galleons from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean through the Isthmus of Panama than to ferry them around Cape Horn.

Valuable information was provided by the study of the Maltese megalithic temples, one of which was suddenly abandoned during construction. Everything that the workers usually took with them - stone rollers and sleds - remained in place. Even drawings have been preserved that looked like a miniature model of the structure (this is how - according to the model, and not on paper - they built until the 18th century). In addition, in Malta, and later in other regions rich in megaliths, “stone rails” were discovered - parallel grooves left by repeated rolling round stones under heavy skids.

But still - wasn't the work too great? Did the obscure barbarians really need to complicate their already difficult life by delivering and lifting 50-ton blocks of Stonehenge? And not for profit, but for beauty, for fame. Realizing that the arches of the cult center can be made of wood.

The inhabitants of Neolithic England thought not too much. The Romans believed in the same way, using record, unthinkable 800-ton blocks in Baalbek, although they could easily get by with ordinary ones. The Incas agreed with them, carving whimsical puzzles from stone in order to assemble the walls of Machu Picchu from them. Megalithic buildings amaze the imagination even now. They hit him then too. Much more hit. With their work, the builders glorified the deity, and a little - themselves. And given that they achieved their goals - although their names are forgotten, glory, having survived the birth and end of many civilizations, thunders through the millennia - is it possible to say that the work was too great?

On the contrary, it was a very economical solution.

For the Neolithic, Eneolithic and early bronze age in Europe, megalithic structures are characteristic (from the Greek words "mega" - large and "lithos" - stone). These are gigantic, especially for those times, structures of various shapes: Dolmens (tombs with stone pillars and ceilings), menhirs (separate vertically placed stones), cromlechs (circular menhirs), stone boxes and galleries. Ancient people built them from one or many blocks of raw, and sometimes roughly processed stone. Most of these buildings served for burials or were associated with funeral cults. But some of them, according to scientists, were some kind of astronomical observatories. It is clear that the megaliths were built collectively - by whole clans by tribes, because their construction required huge costs and muscular strength. Megaliths are widespread in Western Europe. Available maps indicate that the main strip of their location stretches along the coast of the Atlantic, its seas and bays - from Portugal and Spain, through France. Ireland and southern England to Denmark and southern Sweden. Thousands of megalithic structures have been found on this territory: in France there are about 5000 of them, on British Isles- about 2000, in Denmark - about 3000. These are mainly burial grounds. Cyclopean structures, of course, much less. The list of World Heritage Sites includes two megaliths that are among the most unique. These are archaeological sites in the valley of the river Wars, as well as Stonehenge (Stonehenge) and Avebury. Speaking about the wonders of primitive culture, one cannot ignore the monuments of a material nature. The most grandiose and, perhaps, the most famous is the Scottish Stonehenge. The ancient Celts divided the year into cold (from Samhain) and warm (from Beltane) periods. The Celts counted the cold period from the time the cattle came from the pastures, and the beginning of the warm period - from the pasture of the cattle to the pasture. Labor experience convinced people that the periods of agricultural work should be coordinated with the movement of the moon and the sun. A striking example of the development of astronomical knowledge and their use by the peoples of the West is the Stonehenge cromlech, located in England between Bristol and Salisbury, as well as the Scottish Stonehenge, which is located near the city of Stornoway, the capital of the islands - Harris and Lewis (Herbit Islands). These structures were two concentric circles. The English Stonehenge consisted of 38 pairs of vertically standing stones, its design also included a third structure made of hewn stones dug into the ground, covered with stone slabs. Scottish Stonehenge consisted, as already mentioned, of 13 monoliths. In the center of such structures stood one huge stone - a monolith, and to the north-east of it outside the structure was another. The researchers noticed that the axes of each of these mysterious structures, drawn from the central monolith to the outer one, are directed to that point on the horizon where the sun rises on the day of the summer solstice. These cromlechs are undoubtedly the oldest astronomical structures in Europe for observing sunrise and sunset. heavenly bodies- the sun and moon, which is necessary to determine the time. According to legend, in front of such altars, the Druids (Celtic priests) performed a solemn service on June 21, which began at the first rays of the sun. In recent years, in England, adherents of Celtic antiquity have organized a modern order of the Druids, whose members are trying to reconstruct the old Druidic rituals and ceremonies. At the initiative of the order, the annual service of the summer solstice at Stonehenge began to be again celebrated, and it is performed in the same place and at the same hour as in ancient times. The mystery of megaliths has long been of concern to mankind. And recently, interest in them has increased sharply again due to the discovery of megalithic structures at the bottom Atlantic Ocean 40 kilometers from Bahamas. Megaliths belong to different eras. They were erected in the VIII millennium BC, they were built on the islands of Polynesia just a few decades ago. Who was the first builder, and for what purpose were multi-ton megalithic structures created? It is known that all megaliths clearly gravitate towards the sea, and the farther from it, the smaller they become. stone buildings. Legends, like fog, enveloped them, but there is something in common in all these legends that makes us think again about the mysterious ancient history of the Earth that left an indelible mark on the memory of human generations. The Ring of Brodar is located in the vicinity of the town of Orkney, Scotland. A circle of stones with a diameter of 104 meters carries fewer mysteries than Stonehenge. The age of this building has never been determined, although there is an opinion that it is about 2500 - 2000 BC. According to legends, this megalithic monument was called (temple of the sun). In it, the male (second) part of the three-stage rite of betrothal was performed. Initially, the circle included 60 stones, but by the end of the 20th century there were only 27 of them left. The stones were set inside a circular moat up to three meters deep and 9 wide. His last study was carried out in the 70s. Brodgar's Ring in Orkney is considered the third largest stone circle in the British Isles, but little is known about it. Circle of Brodgar, this is a Neolithic cromlech on the Mainland, the big island in the archipelago of the Orkney Islands (Scotland). It is located on a narrow isthmus between lakes Stennes and Harrey. There are many hypotheses about the purpose of this unique structure. The exact age and number of stones originally installed is still unknown. Today, the mysterious Brodgar ring is a wide range of vertically arranged megaliths, some of which reach 4.8 meters in height. Once the ring was huge - 340 feet across (approximately 103.6 meters). Each stone is a block of roughly hewn sandstone. Today, the position of 40 stones is known, but there is still enough free space for at least 20, scientists say. Previously, there were 60 megaliths around the site with a diameter of 104 m. Only 27 have survived to this day. There are 13 mounds around the ring, which for some reason have not yet been studied by scientists. At the moment, archaeologists are preparing to conduct a large-scale study, which will last a month, should shed light on the history of its occurrence, age and purpose. The newest project involves repeated excavations and expansion of research areas. It is also planned to conduct geophysical measurements to accurately determine the location of standing stones. What secrets these megaliths will reveal, the future will show ... Concrete menhirs (processed or natural rock, installed by man, in which the vertical dimensions noticeably exceed the horizontal ones) are also devoted to many legends. The Christian Church gave many of them their own interpretation, finding in them the image of the cross and a number of biblical scenes. The most famous and most mysterious of them, of course, is Stonehenge. In England and Scotland, several hundred of such structures, from 2 to 113 meters in diameter, have been found. Although, as you know, the remains of cromlechs are found in many other countries of the world, however, the ruins of Stonehenge amaze with their grandeur. This unique building was erected several centuries before the fall of Homeric Troy, i.e. almost 4 thousand years ago. In the center of Stonehenge is a huge stone measuring 4.8 × 1.0 × 0.5 meters. This stone, called the altar stone, was originally located, apparently, in another place and its purpose is not fully known. Around it, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe, with a diameter of about 15 meters, five triliths rise - structures of two vertical stones, on which a third is laid. The height of triliths varies from 6.0 to 7.2 meters and increases towards the center of the horseshoe, and their weight reaches 5 tons. Triliths at one time were surrounded by thirty vertical stones about 5.5 meters high and weighing 25 tons. On these supports, forming a ring, lay horizontal slabs. The diameter of this ring, which is called sarsen, is about 30 meters. Behind the sarsen ring there were several more ring structures. The entrance to Stonehenge is made from the northeast, it was in this direction that the horseshoe of the triliths opened. In the same direction, at a distance of about 35 meters from the center of the complex, stands stone pillar the menhir is about 6 meters high and weighs about 35 tons. It is often called the Heel Stone, although there is no heel-shaped depression on the menhir. What purpose did he serve ancient monument created by an unknown civilization? What is it - a temple of the sun or a place of ritual sacrifices? Even with the help of modern technology, it is very difficult to create such a huge majestic structure of giant boulders, whose weight reaches 50 tons. One legend tells of the giants who lived before the Flood, who were able to build Stonehenge, which still surprises and amazes people. And to this day, it poses many unsolved tasks for scientists, archaeologists, astronomers, ufologists all over the world, and literally every stone has a secret hidden here. Scientists have found that the stones from which Stonehenge was erected were delivered 210 kilometers from the mountains of Poesselia, but this was in a straight line, but they were transported along the rivers, dragged on gurneys as much as 380 kilometers. And it would take 300 years. To organize works of this scale several thousand years ago seems absolutely incredible. Why were such inhuman efforts necessary? Astronomer Gerald Hawkins in the 60s of the last century first suggested and then proved that Stonehenge was used in antiquity as an observatory, which made it possible to carry out astronomical observations with high accuracy. The scientist even discovered something like a "computing machine" - 56 holes located along the perimeter of a regular circle at an equal distance from each other. By shifting stones from one hole to another, it was possible to predict lunar eclipses. A few years ago, Stonehenge was explored by mathematician and astronomer Valentin Tereshin and Vladimir Avinsky, chairman of the Samara UFO Club. Studying the geometrical features of the relative position of the individual elements of the megalithic structure, they were convinced that the sizes of the Earth and the Moon, as well as the sizes of the planets of the solar system, were encrypted with high accuracy. Moreover, a comparison of these data with modern ones revealed only a small discrepancy of a few percent. English geologists have calculated that Stonehenge was built between 1900 and 1600 BC. At that time there were no centralized states. The peoples, who were mainly engaged in hunting and primitive agriculture, did not need to build such gigantic structure. And, most importantly, even the most civilized inhabitants mediterranean countries did not know at that time the true size of the planets and did not have accurate geodetic instruments with which huge stones would be placed. More recently, two more new versions of the purpose of this structure have been made. This summer, after two weeks of excavation inside Stonehenge, two archeology professors Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright from the University of Bournesmouth said they were as close as possible to unraveling the mystery of the prehistoric monument. Scientists believe that Stonehenge could serve as a magical hospital. This is confirmed by the found remains of human bodies, the examination of which showed that many of the dead had serious injuries. And thanks to the analysis of their teeth, it was possible to establish that most of them came from remote villages. Over a 600-year period, from 150 to 240 men, women and children were buried at Stonehenge. According to Darvill and Wainwright, people of those times believed that the blue stones of Stonehenge had healing powers, which is why healing rituals were performed there. Another version of the purpose of Stonehenge appeared a little later. According to Professor Mike Parker Pearson, who led the excavations, the world-famous megalithic structure served as a cemetery for the royal dynasty of antiquity. The archaeologist came to such conclusions after conducting a radiocarbon analysis of human remains found on the territory of the complex. The cremated remains - human bones and teeth - were found as a result of excavations back in the 1950s and were kept in a museum in Salisbury. To the conclusion about the royal affiliation of the deceased, the scientist was prompted by an unexpected find - a stone scepter.

Easter Island poses many mysteries to scientists, it is here that hundreds of giant stone idols were discovered. Solve the mysteries of mysterious island in the world - Easter Islands in pacific ocean- tried many. The last serious expeditions there were led by famous travelers Thor Heyerdahl and Jacques Yves Cousteau. After measuring many idols (and there are 887 of them on the island), mathematician Shamil Tsyganov, an accomplice of the expedition, came to the conclusion that the projection of their center of gravity is shifted to the front edge of the base of the idol, which makes the entire structure very unstable. And if you take into account. In addition, a huge “cap” was also installed on the head of the idol (by the way, without any fixation), the multi-ton structure became completely unstable: it was enough to push it lightly and it would fall face down, and the “cap” would fly far forward. By the way, all the idols on Easter Island lie like that - face down. But the most curious thing was that on the pedestals for the idols (ahu), the platforms on which they stood are hemispherical stone structures. If you put an idol with a “cap” on this platform, then it will immediately fall, since the hemisphere on the pedestal will turn due to the shifted center of gravity of the idol. The Japanese, however, installed several groups of idols, but they did this by planting each on a strong metal pin and reinforcing everything with concrete. Despite the fact that the most modern achievements of modern construction technology were used, the Japanese managed to install the “caps” of idols only in a few cases. Hemispherical structures on the pedestals were destroyed, and the recesses for them were filled with concrete. Pedestals - ahu were originally made of an unusual very hard stone, which, by the way, is not found in natural rock outcrops on Easter Island. This stone was brought from some other place. Megalithic slabs, hemispherical bases and much more are made of it. Each ahu, as shown by the instruments, is a source of infrared radiation. The compass in the ahu zone does not work. The bodies of the idols are made of soft volcanic tuff. The eye sockets are carved with cutters, the base and upper part of the head are cut off with some kind of saw. The hats of the idols are made of baked clay, in the quarry where they were made, it can be seen that part of the clay slope was subjected to unusual heat treatment, as if a giant microwave oven was working. The eyes are made of an incomprehensible porcelain-like material. And the pupils are made of red burnt clay. How the ancient tribes could use such technologies, where they learned about them - one can only guess. As it turned out, the mysterious idols from Easter Island are not unique in their kind. Similar figures have been found in the Caucasus, Altai and Mongolia. They are called "stone women". They are significantly smaller size than on Easter Island (0.5 - 2.5 meters high). They, like idols, do not have a brain part of the skull, there is often a pin for a hat, there are no legs, the contours of the back are smoothed out, the hands are folded on the stomach and the emphasis is on the face with clearly defined “organs of death” - nose, eyes, mouth, and ears . But the facial expressions of stone women are kinder. In Mongolia, there are also analogues of standing idols, the bases of which go deep into the ground. In Altai, idols are called "deer stones", their height reaches 3 meters. Most of them have no faces: they were destroyed because they were too scary. There are "deer stones" on which there are no traces of a chip, that is, they were obviously made without a face. On the rocky island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, there are dozens of stone colossi with toothless mouths, massive chins and empty, expressionless eyes. In the form of heavily armed warriors, daggers, knives and long swords hang across their stone chests. Armor or chain mail is clearly visible on the chest and back, round helmets with curved edges are on the heads, a lamellar canopy protects the neck from behind, and horns were probably created on the helmets, then beaten off (there were recesses from the horns on the helmet). These sculptures were created approximately 3200 years ago.

Dolmens are amazing monuments of antiquity. In translation, dolmen means "stone table". There are about 9000 of them in the world. They are scattered all over the earth. Along the banks mediterranean sea, in France, Spain, Portugal, they are also in England, India, Malta, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, in North Korea, in Egypt. There are dolmens on the territory of Russia. Dolmens are structures made of heavy stone slabs of quartz sandstone. There are about 3000 Caucasian dolmens, and they are located in the coastal strip Stavropol Territory, which stretches from Novorossiysk to Ochamchira (Georgia) for 400 km. In width, this strip goes into the mountains for 75 km almost to Maikop. Age Caucasian dolmens- more than 7 millennia. Spheres and hemispheres are often depicted on the facade slab of dolmens. Most of the excavated dolmens have a round hole in the front plate. It is closed with stone plugs, which are mostly destroyed by time. Even with modern technical means it is difficult to build this grandiose structure. Here is how A. Formozov describes the transportation of such a dolmen in the book "Monuments of Primitive Art": They chose the smallest one and brought a crane to it. No matter how they fixed the loops of the steel cable to the cover plate, it did not move. A second crane was called. Two cranes removed a multi-ton monolith, but they were unable to lift it onto a truck. Exactly a year the roof lay in Esheri, waiting for a more powerful mechanism to arrive in Sukhumi. In 1961, with the help of another mechanism, all the stones were loaded onto vehicles. But the main thing was ahead: to reassemble the house. The reconstruction was carried out only partially. The roof was lowered onto four walls, but they could not turn it so that their edges fit into the grooves on the inner surface of the roof. In ancient times, the plates were adjusted to each other so much that the blade of a knife did not crawl between them. And now there is a big gap. Until now, the purpose of dolmens remains a mystery.

primitive culture art building megalith

Megaliths are the oldest constructions, consisting of blocks or single modules. The definition of megalith is not clear and includes groups of various constructions. An example of this are such structures as menhir, cromlech, dolmen, taula, trilit, seid, cairn. And since most of the underwater surfaces of the oceans remain unexplored to this day, it would be reckless to claim that we know at least a small part about these buildings and their creators. After all, it is in salt water that buildings of this type are best preserved. But the cost of such scientific research is prohibitively high, so for now archaeologists are forced to be content with ground-based research.

Purpose of megaliths

Megaliths are widespread in paralytic territories. According to scientists, the purpose of megalithic structures is very diverse. So, in some areas they served for burials, in others - for uniting large communities, and thirdly, they were ceremonial buildings that cultivated the spirits of the dead, and they could also be used for astronomical purposes. However, there is no general picture, scientists argue to this day and cannot come to a single solution. At the moment, there are more than a dozen conflicting theories, and all of them are equally likely and unreliable.

In Europe, megaliths are attributed to the time period from the third to the second millennium BC. In England, a feature is that megalithic buildings date back to the New Stone Age. The current analysis of pundits refutes previous attempts to tie megaliths to a single large megalithic culture.

Megaliths and folk tales

In many countries of the world, legends are made up of megaliths, to be more precise, they mostly tell about the creatures who were engaged in this titanic work. According to the Polynesians, the creatures were dwarfs, no more than ninety centimeters tall. The extraordinary strength that overwhelmed them helped them to fell huge trees with just one glance. They were distinguished by their extreme benevolence towards human creatures and therefore helped them in energy-consuming labors.

According to beliefs, the megalithic structures of the menehune, as they were called in Polynesia, were built at night, since sunlight was unbearable to them, and sometimes fatal. The ubiquitous folklore does not allow skeptical pundits to completely refute these conjectures.
Therefore, while this mystical origin of megaliths remains the deepest secret of the ancestors. Or rather, their legends, since there is no evidence, the preservation of reliable facts in folklore either.

Classification of megaliths

The simplest representative of megaliths appears to archaeologists of various times menhir. The menhir is an inelegantly crafted pillar, wide at the base and tapering towards the top.

Most often there are menhirs set up in groups, in some areas they are displayed in whole alleys. Cromlechs are also commonly referred to as menhirs. The term cromlech was fixed only in continental Europe. Cromlechs, in turn, are structures erected until the early Middle Ages.

The term characterizing this structure originated from the Celtic dialect and remotely resembled dolmens, therefore, in Russia, archaeological communities often call them that, which creates some confusion in the wording. In the UK, not far from the town of Salisbury, there is the most popular cromlech for tourists and more than mysterious for researchers called Stonehenge.

The dimensions of the menhirs are also very diverse and can reach twenty meters in height with a weight of about three hundred tons.

Mystery of megaliths

On younger megaliths, over time, not only images, but also carved ornaments begin to be found, which distinguishes them favorably from older structures.
Almost until the 19th century, not having the proper opportunities for full-fledged research, it was assumed that the druids used these structures for sacrifices.

To date, structures of a mystical nature still leave beyond the understanding of modern man the purpose of their installation. And also one can only guess how such bulky and heavy structures could be erected, given the fact that the more developed a civilization, the more traces of its existence remain on the planet. And we are dealing with rare, albeit extremely interesting traces of a lost civilization.

Location of megaliths

Menhirs are most often found in Western Europe, they are also widely represented in Asia and Africa. You can also meet them on the territory of the Russian Federation, for example, in the Baikal region, the Caucasus and Crimea

Author: Rost.galis - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48934260

The horizontal installation of stones is less durable, because modern society, using the wisdom of the ancients, to this day resorts to a more solid and durable vertical practice in structures, for example, wanting to perpetuate an event in a particular area.

The history of these buildings has yet to be unraveled. Or maybe it will remain an intriguing mystery of antiquity.