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Dolmen

The chamber under excavation. East side mould removed. The plastic tubes are samples for environmental DNA. Source: Karl-Göran Sjögren / University of Gothenburg

Missing Body Parts from 5000-Year-Old Dolmen in Sweden Poses Intriguing Questions

The first analysis results now confirm that the grave in Tiarp is one of the oldest stone burial chambers in Sweden . “It’s an early grave which dates to the Early Neolithic period, about 3500 BC,”...
New research helped identify Carraig á Mhaistin, the Rostellan dolmen, more definitively as a Stone Age megalithic tomb.         Source: Howard Goldbaum / CC BY NC 4.0

Cork Harbor Rock Structure Declared A Stone Age Tomb

Ever since the discovery of a stone dolmen on the eastern shore of Cork Harbor in southern Ireland many years ago, archaeological opinion has been divided over the exact nature of the Carraig á...
The Dolmens of Antequera, remnants of prehistoric Iberia. Source: goyoconde / Adobe Stock

The Hominids of Hiberia: Neanderthals, Dolmens and Myths Entwined

At the southwestern tip of Eurasia, the geological cul-de-sac known as the Iberian Peninsula resides. With the majestic Pyrenees Mountains to the north, and the Pillars of Herakles at the Strait of...
Some of the stone structures found in the Northeastern United States appear man-made.

Did Stone-Age Giants Live in the Champlain and Hudson Valleys?

In the serene woodlands of the Northeastern United States, the Champlain Lake Valley meanders through the landscape, dividing the Adirondack and Green Mountain ranges. As the Champlain Basin ends,...
Why You Should Not Look into Crazywell Pool on Midsummer’s Eve

Why You Should Not Look into Crazywell Pool on Midsummer’s Eve

Crazywell Pool is a large pond located in the Dartmoor National Park, in Devon , England. This pond is famous due to the many local legends that surround it. The best-known of these is perhaps the...
The dolmen of Faldouet is one of several Neolithic Jersey dolmens. It is a Neolithic passage grave located near St. Martin and a highlight for visitors to the island. Source: Lux / Adobe Stock

Vandals Drill into Neolithic Jersey Dolmen Looking for Quartz

A famous dolmen on the Channel Islands has been damaged. Vandals drilled into one of the supporting stones of the 6,000-year-old Stone Age monument. It is believed that they were looking for quartz...
Poulnabrone portal tomb in Burren at sunrise, Ireland           Source: Patryk Kosmider

If Not the Fairies, Then Who Built the Ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen?

Incredible monuments dating back to various ages are found throughout Ireland, including the Giant’s Causeway, the Blarney Stone, and Fort Newgrange, which is older than the pyramids. All have a...
Trethevy Quoit, portal dolmen in Cornwall	Source: Andy Chisholm / Adobe Stock

The Many Legends Accounting for the Mysterious Trethevy Quoit

Cornwall, a truly beautiful region in the British Isles, has a distinct regional identity. It is also home to many remarkable stone age monuments, of which Trethevy Quoit is one of the most famous...
Rock art found in a dolmen in the Golan Heights.

Rare Rock Art in Mysterious Dolmen Discovered in the Golan

A megalithic tomb in the Golan Heights has been discovered to contain unique rock carvings. The rock art on the dolmen may provide insight into the mysterious culture that inhabited the area and...
The planned LEGOLAND park will be built on Jungdo, an Island in Chuncheon, 2 hours east of Seoul, South Korea.        Source: efired / Adobe Stock

LEGOLAND Korea Plows Ahead, Destroying Ancient Heritage Site

Here at Ancient Origins we receive many emails and social media messages accusing folks of willfully damaging archaeology and ancient sites of cultural heritage. Last year saw several cases of teen...
European standing stones: Rudston Monolith (CC0), Maen Llia (Tony Martin Long /Adobe Stock), Maen Madoc (Alan Bowring/CC BY SA 2.0), Kerloas Menhir (mariof /Adobe Stock), Riesenstein (Tecty/CC BY SA 4.0), Menir da Meada. (StockPhotosArt /Adobe Stock)

European Standing Stones: The Mute Witnesses of Forgotten Times

If we reach far back into the distant past of our ancestors, as far back as the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, we can get a critical glimpse into the lives and traditions of Europe’s ancient...
The vandalism caused to 3000-year-old rock carvings in Pangaion Hills.	Source: 	Greece High Definition

What a Way to Start the Year! 3 Shocking Acts of Vandalism in First Week

The first week of January brings three shocking acts of vandalism on ancient monuments in Greece , England and Wales, and the ignorant vandals are accused of lacking education, knowledge and...
Nimrod Castle, Golan Heights

What’s Special About Golan Heights? These 5 Fabulous Recent Archaeological Discoveries For a Start!

The Golan Heights has been making headlines for the political impact of certain international relations choices. It has raised all sorts of questions and debate on sovereignty, international law,...
Carnac Stones, Brittany. Stone Age sailors may have spread this kind of megalithic monument building practice.

Extensive Study Claims Stone Age Sailors Spread the Concept of Megalithic Sites Like Stonehenge

There are many thousands of stone megaliths found in almost every country in Europe, from Scotland to Italy. The best known example of these stone constructions is Stonehenge. The reason that these...
The Haga Dolmen, Bohuslän, Sweden

The Haga Dolmen: Neolithic Burial Chamber Sits Amidst an Impressive Megalithic Landscape

Sweden is a country with a rich archaeological heritage. The Scandinavian nation has many Viking era ruins and artifacts, and has a long history dating back to the Stone Age. One of the most...
The Chavola of the Sorceress, Dolmen in Alava, Spain

Neolithic Bones Reveal Socio-economic and Cultural Differences are Nothing New For Spain

The researcher Teresa Fernández-Crespo, lead author of this study, had in a previous piece of work found demographic differences between the people buried in dolmens and those buried in caves: while...
4,000-Year-Old Megalithic Tomb in Spain Vandalized with Harry Potter References

4,000-Year-Old Megalithic Tomb in Spain Vandalized with Harry Potter References

A vandal has defaced a fine specimen of an ancient dolmen tomb, made of large rock slabs, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. The graffiti vandal spray-painted the word “Always” and arcane symbols, both...
The 'Polish Pyramids' were megalithic structures that were built in ancient Poland by digging out the ground and piling large boulders on top. It is believed that their construction would have taken the work of hundreds of laborers.

Polish Pyramids: Ruins of Megalithic Tombs from the Time of Stonehenge Discovered in Poland

A group of monumental megalithic tombs has been discovered in Western Pomerania in Poland. Because of the enormous character of the structures, they are often called the ‘Polish pyramids.’ According...
Exploring the Megaliths of Magnetic Rock

Exploring the Megaliths of Magnetic Rock – Guidepost for Ancient Man?

Near Copper Harbor, Michigan, USA, at the northern tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula, a large and long protrusion of rock emerges far up the hillside in deep forest. Many petroglyphs cover this rock. It...
The famous Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England.

Stonehenge is not the only prehistoric monument that has been moved - but it is still unique

I led the team of researchers that discovered that Stonehenge was most likely to have been originally built in Pembrokeshire, Wales, before it was taken apart and transported some 180 miles to...
The dolmen tomb at Killaclohane in County Kerry

6,000-year-old cremated remains discovered in megalithic tomb in Ireland

The remains of two apparently prominent people who were among some of the first farmers who settled in Southwest Ireland have been unearthed at a prehistoric stone dolmen monument in County Kerry...
Hindu devotee practicing jñāna yoga, one of the methods believed to help attain mukthi

Archaeologists discover tomb of ancient man in India who had achieved mukthi

A group of Indian archaeologists have discovered the ancient remains of an individual whose tomb contained a marking indicating he may have achieved the state of ‘mukthi’, a belief observed by a...
Tinkinswood Burial Chamber

Tinkinswood Burial Chamber: Megalithic Dolmen with Massive Capstone

Just a few miles west of Cardiff, in the direction of Cowbridge in South Wales, is an ancient Neolithic site called Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, which dates back at least 6,000 years. It is well worth...
Indian archaeologists are excavating several Iron Age sites of ancient burial grounds in the vicinity of Hyderabad. This is one of the world's largest dolmens, in Andhra Pradesh

Discovery of Ancient Indian Daggers may push back Start of Iron Age by Hundreds of Years

Indian archaeologists say recent dagger discoveries at ancient sites in Hyderabad have pushed the Iron Age in India back to at least 2200 BC—around 1,000 years before the rest of the world. Indian...

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