Information
Landmark: Bronze Age DolmenCity: Zebbug
Country: Malta
Continent: Europe
Bronze Age Dolmen, Zebbug, Malta, Europe
Overview
A Bronze Age dolmen is a massive stone tomb built between roughly 2300 and 700 BCE, though some-weathered and moss-covered-reach back to the Neolithic.Ancient societies often built dolmens for burials, especially in the Mediterranean, across Western Europe, and in parts of Asia, where massive stone slabs still stand under open skies.A dolmen is made of tall upright stones, called orthostats, with one or more massive slabs laid across the top to create a low, sheltered chamber.These structures were probably built as tombs, though their purpose shifts with the site and culture-one might hold carved stone coffins, another ritual offerings.Bronze Age dolmens often have massive upright stones-orthostats-set firmly in the earth, their rough faces forming the chamber’s walls.Capstone (Lid): A broad slab of stone, sometimes called a roofstone, sits firmly atop the standing stones like a flat table.This forms the enclosed burial chamber, often called a “dolmen house.” The stones are massive-some as heavy as a small car-typical of megalithic construction.Some of these stones came from nearby quarries, while others traveled from far-off places, their rough edges still carrying the story of the hands and muscle it took to build these structures.Dolmens were likely used as burial chambers, where the dead lay beside simple grave goods-a clay pot, a bead, maybe a blade of flint.Some dolmens hold traces of human bones or carved tools, hinting they once played a role in ancient rituals.Some dolmens sit inside larger burial mounds, their stone passages leading into a dark, echoing chamber, though many are nothing more than a simple, open structure.Dolmens often face a deliberate direction-sometimes lined up with the sunrise, the moon’s path, or other striking events in the sky.Because of this, some researchers now suggest dolmens served purposes beyond burial-perhaps marking the sun’s path or hosting sacred rites under the open sky.In Malta, known for its prehistoric megalithic treasures like Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, and the Tarxien Temples from the Neolithic age, you’ll also find a few dolmens-scattered and far less common.In France, you’ll find dolmens scattered all over, especially in Brittany, where they dot the grassy hills like ancient stone doorways.Ireland is dotted with ancient dolmens, like the weathered Poulnabrone Dolmen in County Clare, thought to be tombs from the Bronze Age or even earlier.In the United Kingdom, you’ll spot dolmens tucked into the green hills of Wales and scattered across the windswept coast of Cornwall.In Spain-particularly in Andalusia-you can find impressive dolmen fields, some with massive stone slabs warmed by the afternoon sun.In South Korea, the Goindol-ancient Korean dolmens scattered around Gyeongju-stand out as renowned Bronze Age burial sites, their massive stone slabs still weathered by centuries of wind and rain.Dolmens are often seen as ancient burial chambers, places where the dead were laid to rest alongside grave goods-perhaps a clay pot, a bead, or a worn blade.Placing offerings-tools worn smooth from use, clay pots, even bits of jewelry-points to a deeper ritual meaning.Rituals and Ceremonies: Many dolmens likely served as focal points for rituals-spaces where people honored ancestors, held funerals, or gathered by torchlight to remember the dead together.In some places, dolmens might have been set to catch key moments in the sky-like the first light of the summer solstice-though archaeologists still argue over whether that was their true purpose.In Malta, you’ll find Bronze Age dolmens tucked away in scattered spots, though they’re far rarer than the island’s famous temple complexes.Near Siggiewi in Malta’s southwest, the Dolmen of Clapham Junction stands as one of the best-known Bronze Age dolmens, its massive stone slab weathered smooth by centuries of wind and sun.Clapham Junction Dolmen is made up of towering upright stones topped by a single massive slab, weathered and rough under the hand.Experts think it dates back to the Bronze Age, though it might have been put together even earlier by prehistoric cultures-long before metal tools rang against stone.They’ve rebuilt part of the dolmen, and now it stands under protection, its weathered stones still cool to the touch.Despite the name, it has nothing to do with a rail junction; it refers to a spot where several ancient dolmens stand close together, their weathered stones catching the afternoon light.Bronze Age dolmens remain remarkable archaeological sites, offering a window into the burial rites and cultural traditions of long-ago societies.These massive stone monuments likely played a key role in both sacred and everyday life, standing as tombs, gathering places for rituals, or markers aligned with the rising sun.In places like Malta, they stand among the island’s ancient stone monuments, still drawing scholars and travelers who run their hands over the weathered carvings.
