Dolmen

Type

Built, Rock

Area of origin

France (?)

Area of use

International

Related terms

Tolmen

Megalithic burial structure consisting of tow or more stones on edge supporting a large horizontal capstone so as to create a simple chamber. It’s thought that these chambers would originally have been covered withe earth to form barrows, in many cases this covering has been worn away.

Etymology

It’s possible that this word arrived from France via works by Théophile Corret de la Tour d’Auvergne in the late C19th after a misunderstanding of the word tolmen [see Tolmens, dolmens and lumbago in my blog]

Example locations

    Enlarge map

    Entry contributors:

    K. Elms