Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T23:22:34.047Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Megalithic Art and Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

George Eogan
George Eogan
Affiliation:
59 Brighton Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Megalithic art is associated with passage tombs in Atlantic Europe. But it is not found in all areas, rather it has a restricted distribution. In those areas where it occurs it is very often associated with large and, therefore, prestigious tombs. These tombs have a confined distribution within defined areas. It can be argued that such areas indicate tribal regions within which elite societies existed and where cohesion was provided by a leader, possibly in the form of a chief.

Résumé

L’art mégalithique est associé aux tombes à couloir en Europe Atlantique. Mais on ne le trouve pas dans toutes les régions, il a une répartition plutôt limitée. Dans les régions où il existe, il est très souvent associé à des tombes importantes et, de ce fait, prestigieuses. Ces tombes ont une répartition limitée dans des régions bien définies. On peut argumenter que de telles régions constituaient des régions tribales à l’intérieur desquelles existaient des sociétés structurées qui s’organisaient autour d’un leader, peut-être sous la forme d’un chef qui assurait la cohésion du groupe.

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Artikel stellt einen Vortrag dar, der als „Europa-Vorlesung“ 1998 gegeben wurde. Megalithische Kunst ist im Atlantischen Europa mit Ganggräbern assoziiert. Sie kann aber nicht in allen Gebieten gefunden werden sondern weist eher eine begrenzte Verbreitung auf. In ihrem Verbreitungsgebiet ist sie oft assoziiert mit großen und deshalb prestigeträchtigen Gräbern. Diese Gräber haben eine klar umrissene Verbreitung innerhalb definierter Gebiete. Es kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass es sich dabei um Stammesgebiete handelt, in denen Elite-Gesellschaften existierten, und in denen der Zusammenhalt von einem Führer, wahrscheinlich in der Gestalt eines Häuptlings, gewährleistet wurde.

Résumen

En la Europa atlántica, el arte megalítico aparece asociado con tumbas de tipo dolmen con pasillo. Pero no aparece de modo general en toda esta zona, más bien tiene una distribución restringida. En las zonas donde sí aparece, lo hace a menudo asociado con tumbas grandes y por lo tanto, prestigiosas. Estas tumbas tienen una distribución limitada a zonas definidas. Se puede decir que tales zonas constituyen territorios tribales en los cuales existían élites sociales y donde la cohexión era dada por un leader, probablemente un jefe.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 65 , 1999 , pp. 415 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Almagro, M. & Arribas, A. 1963. El Poblado y la Necrópolis Megalíticos de Los Millares. Madrid: Bibliotheca Praehistorica Hispana 3.Google Scholar
Almagro Gorbea, M.J. 1973. Los Idolos del Bronce I Hispano. Madrid: Bibliotheca Praehistorica Hispana 12.Google Scholar
Balbín Behrmann, R. & Bueno Ramírez, P. 1992. Soto, unejemplo de Are Megalítico al Suroeste de la Península In Romanillo, A.M. (ed.), El Hombre Fósil, 80 Años desputés, 499–572. Universidad de Cantabria.Google Scholar
Bello-Dieguez, J.M. 1997. Aportaciones del dolmen de Dombate (Cabana, La Coruña) al arte megalitico occidental. In L'Helgouac'h, et al. (eds), 1997, 23–39.Google Scholar
Bello-Dieguez, J.M. (ed.). 1999. Arte Megalitico. A Coruña: Museo Arquelóxico.Google Scholar
Bradley, R. 1997. Rock Art and the Prehistory of Atlantic Europe. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bradley, R. 1999. Discovering decorated tombs in Neolithic Orkney. Current Archaeology 14(5), 184–7.Google Scholar
Breuil, H. 1934. Presidential Address for 1934, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia 7, 289–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bueno Ramírez, P. & Balbín Behrmann, R. 1992. L'art megalithique dans la Péninsule Ibérique. Une vue d'ensemble, L'Anthropologie 96, 499–572.Google Scholar
Chapman, R. 1990. Emerging Complexity. Cambridge: University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, G. 1960. Archaeology and Society. London: Methuen.Google Scholar
Cleal, R. 1991. Crambourne Chase – the earlier prehistoric pottery. In Barrett, J., Bradley, R. & Hall, M. (eds), Papers on the Prehistoric Archaeology of Cranborne Chase, 134–200. Oxford: Oxbow.Google Scholar
Coffey, G. 1912. Newgrange (Brugh na Bóinne) and other Incised Tumuli in Ireland. Dublin: Hodges Figgis.Google Scholar
Daniel, G. 1960. The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of France. London: Thames & Hudson.Google Scholar
Davidson, J.L. & Henshall, A.S. 1989. The Chambered Cairns of Orkney. Edinburgh: University Press.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. 1984. Excavations at Knowth, 1. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. 1986. Knowth and the Passage Tombs of Ireland. London: Thames & Hudson.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. 1990. Irish megalithic tombs and Iberia. In Probleme der Megalithgräberforschung, 113–37. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. 1997. Cohesion and diversity: passage tombs of north-western Europe and their social and ritual fabric. In Casal, A. Rodriguez (ed.), O Neolítico Atlantíco e as Orixes do Megalitismo, 43–64. Santiago de Compostela.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. 1998. Knowth before Knowth, Antiquity 72, 162–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eogan, G. & Roche, H. 1997. Excavations at Knowth, 2. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy & Dept. of Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht.Google Scholar
Eogan, G. & Roche, H. 1998. Further evidence for Neolithic habitation at Knowth, Co. Meath, Ríocht na Midhe 9(4), 1–9.Google Scholar
Evans, E. Estyn. 1953. Lyles Hill, Co. Antrim. Belfast.Google Scholar
Giot, P-R. 1987. Barnenez, Cam, Guennoc. Rennes: Travaux du Laboratoire d'Anthropologie.Google Scholar
Gonçalves, V.S. 1989. Megalitismo e Metallurgia no Alto Algarve Oriental. Madrid.Google Scholar
Gonçalves, V.S. 1992. Revendo as antas de Reguengos de Monsaraz. Lisbon: Instituto nacional de investigação cientifíca.Google Scholar
Hartnett, P.J. 1957. Excavation of a passage grave at Fourknocks, Co. Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 58(1), 197–277.Google Scholar
Hartnett, P.J. & Eogan, G. 1964. Feltrim Hill, Co. Dublin: a Neolithic and early Christian site. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 94, 1–37.Google Scholar
Henshall, A.S. 1963. The Chambered Tombs of Scotland. Edinburgh: University PressGoogle Scholar
Henshall, A.S. 1972. The Chambered Tombs of Scotland 2. Edinburgh: University Press.Google Scholar
Herity, M. 1974. Irish Passage Graves. Dublin: Irish University Press.Google Scholar
Lecornec, J. 1994. Le Petit Mont, Arzon, Morbihan. Rennes: Pole Editioral Archeologiane de l'Oust.Google Scholar
Leisner, G. 1943. Die Megalithgräber der Iberischen Halbinsel, I. Teil. Der Süden: Berlin: Römish-Germanische Forschungen 17.Google Scholar
Leisner, G. & Leisner, V. 1951. Antas do Concelho de Reguengos de Monsaraz. Madrid: Instituto Para a Alta Cultura.Google Scholar
Leisner, G. & Leisner, V. 1956–1959. Die Megalithgräber der Iberischen Halbinsel Der Westen. Berlin: Madrider Forschangen 1/2 & 3 (V. Leisner).Google Scholar
Leisner, V. & Ribeiro, L. 1968. Die Dolmen von Carapito. Madrider Mitteilumgen 9, 11–62.Google Scholar
Leisner, V., Zbyszewski, G. & Veiga Ferreira, O. da. 1969. Les Monuments Préhistoriques de Praia das Maçãs et de Casainhos. Lisbon: Serviçes Geológicos de Portugal.Google Scholar
L'Helgouac'h, J., 1965. Les Sépultures Mégalithiques en Armorique. Rennes: Laboratoire d'Anthropologie PréhistoriqueGoogle Scholar
L'Helgouac'h, J., 1997. De la Lumière aux Ténèbres. In L'Helgouac'h, J. et al. (eds), 1997, 107–23.Google Scholar
L'Helgouac'h, J., Le Roux, C.-T. & Lecornec, J. (eds) 1997. Art et Symboles du Megalithisme Europeen. Rennes: Revue Archéologique de l'Ouest, supplement 8.Google Scholar
Le Roux, C.-T. 1985a. New excavations at Gavrinis. Antiquity 59, 183–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Roux, C.-T. 1985b. Gavrinis. Guides Archeologiques de la France. Paris: Ministère de la Culture.Google Scholar
Mahr, A. 1937. New aspects and problems in Irish prehistory. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 3, 261–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Midgley, M.S. 1992. TRB Culture. Edinburgh: University Press.Google Scholar
Mitchell, F. 1992. Same notes on non-local cobbles at the entrance to the Passage-Graves at Newgrange and Knowth, County Meath, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 122, 128–45.Google Scholar
Morris, H. 1929. Ancient graves in Sligo and Roscommon, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 59, 99–115.Google Scholar
Morris, R. 1977. The Prehistoric Rock Art of Argyll. Poole: Dolphin.Google Scholar
Müller, D.W. 1997. Ornamente, Symbole, Bilder – Zum Megalithischen Totenbranchtum in Mitteldeutschland. In L'Helgouac'h, et al. (eds), 1997, 163–76.Google Scholar
Obermaier, H. 1924. El Dolmen de Soto. Madrid: Fototipia de Hauser y Menet.Google Scholar
O'Kelly, M.J. 1982. Newgrange. London: Thames and Hudson.Google Scholar
O'Kelly, M.J., Lynch, F. & O'Kelly, C. 1978. Three passagegraves at Newgrange, Co. Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 78C, 249–352.Google Scholar
O'Kelly, M. J. & O'Kelly, C. 1983. The tumulus of Dowth, Co. Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 83C, 135–90Google Scholar
Ó'Rfordain, S.P. 1979. Antiquities of the Irish Countryside (5 edn). London: Methuen.Google Scholar
O'Sullivan, M. 1987. The art of the passage tomb at Knockroe, County Kilkenny, Joural of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 117, 84–95.Google Scholar
Péquart, M. & Saint-Just, , & Le Rouzic, Z. 1927. Corpus des Signes Gravés des Monuments Megalithiques du Morbihan. Paris: Auguste Picard/Berger-Levrault.Google Scholar
Piggott, St. 1954. The Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles. Cambridge: University Press.Google Scholar
Raftery, J. 1951. Prehistoric Ireland. London: Batsford.Google Scholar
Shee Twohig, E. 1981. The Megalithic Art of Western Europe. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Wainwright, G.J. & Longworth, I.H. 1971. Durrington Walls London. Report of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London 29.Google Scholar