Apports de la géologie et de la géomorphologie à l’étude du mégalithisme : identifier, interpréter, dater

Mens, Emmanuel; Poncet, Didier; Marticorena, Pablo

doi:10.1016/j.anthro.2022.103074

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…One of the co-authors (F. Cousseau) was the first to multiply the application of these new tools to the study of Western European megalithic buildings, by combining them with a geoarchaeological approach (Cousseau, 2023) 6 . Thus, he was also the first to propose a reading of the geological and geomorphological characteristics of the monoliths that make up the internal space of Western European megalithic monuments, based on work conducted, among others, on the alignments of Carnac (Brittany, France) (Mens, 2008;Mens et Large, 2009;Mens et al, 2022;Sellier, 1991Sellier, , 2013Sellier, , 2018. This practice has since been democratized in Western Europe and has been applied to Neolithic megalithic monuments which take the form of large burial mounds made largely of dry-stone walls, formed from blocks of small module (Cousseau, 2023;Gouézin, 2022;Gouézin et al, 2019;Linares-Catela, 2017;van der Reijden, 2020).…”

Section: Western European Methods Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Levantine Megalithic Building Techniques: A Groundbreaking Method Applied to Menjez’s Monuments (Akkar, Lebanon) from the 4th–3rd Millennium BCE

Defours Rivoira,

Cousseau,

Steimer-Herbet

2024

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this paper is to present the methodology used to study the megalithic architecture of Menjez’s monuments (Akkar, Lebanon), as part of the MEG-A Project - “First megalith builders in the northern Levant” (2022–2025). Twenty-four monuments have been investigated since 2018. The primary objective is to pioneer a comprehensive understanding of the unique Levantine megalithic building techniques and re-establish the “chaînes opératoires,” by determining the builders’ sequence of actions. This groundbreaking methodology originally developed for Western European megalithic monuments, notably in Brittany, France, has been innovatively applied and customized to suit the Levantine context, specifically focusing on the distinctive basaltic monuments of Menjez and its surrounding areas. By using photogrammetry as a tool, the researchers are able to de-construct the megalithic architecture by analyzing the different components of these monuments. Moreover, it is then possible to describe monoliths according to their place within the monument and their geological and geomorphological features. Our work has led us to consider the symbolic aspect expressed in the megalithic architecture of Menjez. Employing this groundbreaking methodology not only yields concrete answers regarding the typology of these monuments but also dramatically reshapes our perception of their construction. It establishes a precise relative chronology for the various architectural phases and, most significantly, reveals the hidden details of the raw material supply chain.

show abstract

Section: Western European Methods Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Levantine Megalithic Building Techniques: A Groundbreaking Method Applied to Menjez’s Monuments (Akkar, Lebanon) from the 4th–3rd Millennium BCE

Defours Rivoira,

Cousseau,

Steimer-Herbet

2024

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: A Functional and Symbolic Interpretation Of The Construction...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The symbolic and aesthetic qualities of the rocks have also often been considered in the megalithic monuments in France (e.g., Gouézin, 2017Gouézin, , 2022Mens et al, 2021). Some monuments, such as the Dissignac tumulus (Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique) and the Dolmen de la Croix (Pornic, Loire-Atlantique), are composed of very contrasting rock types and colours (Mens et al, 2021). The disposition of the various stones is very ordered, and a number of characteristics, such as the preferential placement of light-coloured stones at the entrance, typify many monuments.…”

Section: A Functional and Symbolic Interpretation Of The Construction...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analysing the three-dimensional (3D) shape of megalithic slabs (Mens, 2008;Sellier, 1995Sellier, , 2013 shows how the natural outcrops were exploited. The use of different types of rock is also discussed in a technological and symbolic interpretation of megalithic monuments (Mens et al, 2021). However, despite the qualitative contribution of these studies, few publications provide detailed geological data about the areas surrounding the megalithic remains.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An interdisciplinary approach to Late/Final Neolithic coastal gallery graves in Brittany, Western France: The 3D structure, origin of stone material, and paleoenvironmental setting of the Kernic and Lerret monuments

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article presents an interdisciplinary study of two Late/Final Neolithic gallery graves (Kernic and Lerret) located on the orthwestern coast of Brittany (Western France). These monuments show striking similarities in terms of architectural style and geographical position. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the construction strategy of these monuments by (i) determining the origin of the megalithic blocks using comparative petro‐structural analyses of blocks and surrounding rocks, (ii) reconstructing the coastal environment from sediment core analyses and (iii) defining the significance of these monuments in the territories from an intervisibility analysis. The study reveals marked differences between the two monuments studied. The Lerret gallery grave was erected close to a unique source of stone material on the margins of a marshland zone. In contrast, the Kernic monument, erected on the edge of an estuary, seems to have been built using a deliberate diversification of stone extraction sites. An intervisibility analysis shows a dense network of visual interconnections between a number of megalithic tombs present in the study area, where the two monuments occupy very distinct sites. The social implications of stone selection and the geographical location of Late/Final Neolithic funerary monuments are also discussed in an enlarged regional context.

show abstract

Apports de la géologie et de la géomorphologie à l’étude du mégalithisme : identifier, interpréter, dater

Cited by 2 publications

References 3 publications

The Levantine Megalithic Building Techniques: A Groundbreaking Method Applied to Menjez’s Monuments (Akkar, Lebanon) from the 4th–3rd Millennium BCE

The Levantine Megalithic Building Techniques: A Groundbreaking Method Applied to Menjez’s Monuments (Akkar, Lebanon) from the 4th–3rd Millennium BCE

An interdisciplinary approach to Late/Final Neolithic coastal gallery graves in Brittany, Western France: The 3D structure, origin of stone material, and paleoenvironmental setting of the Kernic and Lerret monuments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About