Neolithic Architecture in Europe
The Neolithic period began in Northern Europe several thousand years after it began in the Near East. The movement from the Mesolithic period to the Neolithic period is marked by a shift from exclusive hunting and gathering subsistence to a mainly agriculturally based subsistence, which led to a more settled existence and a new form of art - monumental stone architecture (called megalithic.) The megalithic structures of Northern Europe can be classified into three basic categories: Temples, Tombs, and Alignments. Almost all construction was done using rough-hewn stone without the benefit of mortar. Temples and large communal tombs (often referred to as a Necropolis) are generally found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, two sma
Alignments Alignments are perhaps the most famous of the Neolithic monuments. Dolmens are chambers or enclosures consisting of two or more vertical stones supporting a large single stone. One of the best-preserved temples is Ggantija on Gozo. Barrows come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all share the same basic design of a passageway of large stones that leads to the inner chamber. This slightly different variation of the dolmen is often called a barrow. Alignments and smaller communal tombs are found in Ireland, Britain, France, Spain, and Italy. The North Temple is smaller than its forecourt. Many of these barrows have an orientation to the winter solstice, at which time a beam of light shines down the passageway to illuminate the inner chamber. Early dolmens usually held just one burial whereas later dolmens often held many burials and were covered over with a mound of earth. Rather than being tombs, these monuments are thought to be outdoor temples or astronomical calendars. The most common tomb type here is called the dolmen and is found in great numbers in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Both temples have elaborate interior sanctuaries. This is a freestanding structure, located on a hill facing. The South Temple is the earlier of the two and consists of a trilobed sanctuary with a smaller oval shaped forecourt.
Common topics in this essay:
Scotland Dolmens,
Near East,
Alignments Alignments,
North Temple,
Saflieni Malta,
Ggantija Gozo,
Tombs Alignments,
South Temple,
European Neolithic,
Northern Europe,
inner chamber,
northern europe,
temple forecourt,
malta gozo,
european neolithic,
found islands,
communal tombs,
coast sicily,
neolithic period,
south temple,
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