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2. The Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages
3.4. Art in the Bronze and Iron Ages
Megalithic monuments were used for different purposes:
funerary
(such as collective tombs),
commemorative
(to
mark an important event),
territorial
(to mark boundaries)
and even
astronomical
(to mark the change in seasons).
The first megaliths appeared at the end of the Neolithic
Period, but the most famous ones were constructed during
the Bronze Age. The builders of megaliths travelled by sea in
search of metals. As a result, megalithic architecture spread
along the Mediterranean coast and through Western
Europe.
The construction of megalithic monuments required the
participation of many people, good organisation of labour
and a chain of command (some people had to give orders
and others had to obey them).
TYPES OF MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS
Menhir
This is a large stone pushed into the
ground. It was used to mark burial
grounds or territorial boundaries.
Dolmen
This was composed of various
megaliths in the form of a table. It
was used as a funeral chamber for
collective burials.
Cromlech
This was composed of various megaliths
in the form of a circle. It was possibly
used for sun worship. The most famous
one is Stonehenge (England).
The most important art forms from the
Bronze and Iron
Ages
were
megalithic monuments
. These were made
from
enormous blocks of stone (megaliths)
, which
were placed on their own or arranged together to form
a structure.
Understand
27.
Listen to the descriptions say if it is a Menhir, Dolmen or Cromlech.
28.
Look at how the megalithic monuments were constructed. What did
they use to move the megaliths? What did they construct to place the
horizontal stone on top of the two vertical ones? How many people
were needed to move the megaliths?
Evaluate
29.
Watch the video about the
stones
of Carnac
. Collect information
about this place and write a brief
essay about it.
