File:Megalithic_Culture.PNG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
megalith
Also known as standing stone
thumb|Dolmen at [[Ganghwa Island, South Korea (c. 300 BC)]] thumb|Megalithic Batu Brak, Lampung Province, Indonesia (c. 2100 BC) thumb|Megalithic grave Harhoog in [[Keitum, Sylt, Germany (c. 3000 BC)]]
AI overview
A megalith is a large stone structure built by ancient peoples, examples of which have been found across the world from Korea to Indonesia to Germany, dating back thousands of years. These monuments matter because they provide evidence of early human societies' capabilities, organizational skills, and cultural practices.
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Wikidata facts
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- Stonehenge back wide.jpg
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- Commons category
- Megaliths
- OpenStreetMap tag
- archaeological_site=megalith
~45 min read
Article
47 sectionsContents
- Types and definitions
- Single stones
- Multiple stones
- Timeline
- Neolithic
- Chalcolithic
- Stone Age
- Bronze Age
- Geographic distribution of megaliths
- European megaliths
- Tombs
- Other structures
- Spread of megalithic architecture in Europe
- African megaliths
- North Africa
- West Africa
- Central Africa
- Eastern Africa
- Southern Africa
- Asian megaliths
- North East Asia
- Northern style
- Southern style
- Capstone style
- Southeast Asia
- Living megalith culture of Indonesia
- South Asia
- West Asia
- Melanesian megaliths
- Micronesian megaliths
- Modern theories
- Purposes
- Methods of construction
- Types of megalithic structure
- Contemporary megalith-building cultures
- The Toraja of Indonesia
- The Marapu of Indonesia
- References in literature
- Gallery
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Works cited
- Further reading
- Articles
- Books
- External links
thumb|Dolmen at [[Ganghwa Island, South Korea (c. 300 BC)]] thumb|Megalithic Batu Brak, Lampung Province, Indonesia (c. 2100 BC) thumb|Megalithic grave Harhoog in [[Keitum, Sylt, Germany (c. 3000 BC)]]
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically from Sweden in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south.