April 14, 2021   |   2 comments

Neil McDonald discusses some of the wonders and mysteries of megalithic culture.

(Stream / download audio at bottom of page)

A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Stonehenge is arguably the best known megalithic site in the world. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean. Their historic timeline extends from the Mesolithic and Neolithic stone age eras – some of the earliest sites date from around 10,000 BC – right through to the Bronze Age. The megalithic tradition in general came to an end around 1200 BC.

Megaliths were used for a variety of purposes ranging from boundary markers, reminders of past events, burial sites, to being part of the society’s religion. Some also have various solar and stellar alignments. However, many questions about their origin and purpose remain unanswered, not least the methods of their construction. If the stones could speak, they could tell us much about humanity’s history that is still obscure.

Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’
Black Sabbath ‘Stonehenge’