Summary: General information re megaliths
Key dates:
The Megalithic structures take their name from the Greek for great (mega) and stone (lithos). They are, as their name suggests, large stone structures which often weigh many tons. There are four different types of megalithic tombs: court tombs, portal tombs, passage graves and wedge tombs. Those which were stone covered are called cairns while the sod covered ones are known as barrows.
Some were purely for burials while the location of others suggests that they were linked to astronomy or an interest in the sky and the natural calendar.
Considerable transport and construction skills were required to produce these monuments. It is probable that these large stones were placed on wooden sledges and dragged over tree trunk rollers before being pulled upright by a series of levers, counter-weights and traction. The roofing stones were dragged up on ramps and eased into position. All of this work required great organisation skills.
The cemetery arrangements and the huge size of these tombs suggest that they belonged to settled and well organised communities. From 3800-3000BC these tombs were used as part of a system of social aggrandisement. There are 1500 such structures in Ireland of which Newgrange, Co Meath is the largest and best known.
These tombs were built through to the Bronze Age.
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