Dolmen

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Poulnabrone dolmen in County Clare, Ireland
A dolmen erected by Neolithic people in Kerala, India

A dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb.[1] It usually consists of three or more upright stones (megaliths) supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table).

Most date from the early Neolithic period (4000 BC to 3000 BC). Dolmens were usually covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow, though in many cases that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone "skeleton" of the burial mound intact.

Notes[change | change source]

  1. Also known as 'cromlech', 'quoit', or 'portal tomb'