ANTHR-130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Sarsen, Chalcolithic, Dolmen
12 Oct 2020
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Document Summary
Built in mesolithic, neolithic, chalcolithic and bronze age(when copper was produced) Erroneous connection with celtic druids (cambry 1805) Passage grave: subterranean burial chamber with passageway. Gallery graves: burial chambers arranged axially (liminal phase-in between) Menhirs: standing stones, can be aligned (carnac) Natural hill sculpted into maze, spiral patterns, etc. Integral part of ritual life (astronomical, funerary, etc. ) 2,900-1,600 bc (late neolithic/chalcolithic through early bronze age) First documented in 17th century (john aubrey) Aubrey holes: phase 2 (2,900-2,500 bc) New timber structures: phase 3 (2,500-1,600 bc) Part of broader ritual landscape (parker pearson) Rites of passage from life to death (ancestor worship) Most likely scenario: multipurpose ritual and religious center. Wiltshire, england (32 km north of stonehenge) Excavated by several people in late 19th and 20th centuries. Older than stonehenge: completed by 2,000 bc. Outer stone circle (stones were not carved) Avenues giving access to inside of ditch area. Stones chosen based on their natural shape.
