Megalith

A megalith is a large stone that has been used to cause a prehistoric grouping or monument, either alone or as well as other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.

The word was first used in 1849 by the British antiquarian mega" for great in addition to "lithos" for stone. nearly extant megaliths were erected between the Neolithic period although earlier Mesolithic examples are invited through the Chalcolithic period and into the Bronze Age.

Types and definitions

While "megalith" is often used to describe a single unit of stone, it also can be used to denote one or more rocks hewn in definite shapes for special purposes. It has been used to describe environments built by people from numerous parts of the world living in numerous different periods.[] The nearly widely known megaliths are not tombs.