Wooden Structures as Megaliths: A Reappraisal

The term ‘megalith' refers to a large stone or monument either alone or in association with other stones. The word megalith comes from the Ancient Greek μέγας (transl. megas meaning ‘great') and λίθος (transl. lithos meaning ‘stone'). Megaliths, by definition, therefore, refer to large stones used for funeral or other purposes- which can include a variety of functions and uses. In reality, however, the meaning of ‘megalith' is not always connected with large stones, but smaller stones as well. These stone structures take different shapes and sizes – such as the upright standing menhir, the table stones called dolmen, the box-like ossuaries called cist, stone rubble such as cairn, stone slabs covering the mouth of a pit referred to as capstone, and many others. In many cases, a singular stone may be called a megalith, while in many others a number of stones form a megalithic complex.