In Spain, an interdisciplinary team of scientists conducted a detailed analysis of the monumental structure – the Menga dolmen. Analysis of this monument shows that it represents one of the greatest engineering achievements of the Neolithic.
According to Phys.org, the research team was made up of archaeologists, geologists, engineers and historians from various institutions in Spain. They published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The Meng Dolmen was studied for the first time using the most advanced technology. The results surprised the scientists.
Now the Meng dolmen poses an even greater engineering mystery than before. This ancient mound is located near Antequera, province of Málaga. Previous studies have estimated its age to be approximately 5,700 years. It is one of the largest megalithic structures in Europe and was built on the top of a hill with giant rocks. Suffice it to say that the weight of the largest of them exceeds 100 tons.
For many years, researchers have been haunted by the question of how the ancients, who possessed primitive tools, were able to process and move such large building blocks. A new study was designed to find the answer. Scientists have carefully studied the composition of the stones used by ancient builders. This made it possible to identify the location of the quarries from where they were probably transported to the construction site.
The team used petrographic and stratigraphic analysis methods. The results showed that the rocks were mostly calcarenites, a type of sedimentary rock. Due to their fragility, these stones are called soft and scientists have paid attention to this fact. In his opinion, soft stones of such enormous mass would be very difficult to transport without causing damage. In other words, they could split up along the way, for example.
However, they were delivered to the hill without visible external damage, which in itself suggests a certain level of engineering complexity. The researchers write in their paper that moving and building a dolmen from such large, massive but fragile stones would require careful planning and very complex engineering work. This is especially true of the keystone, that is, that large rock that was somehow placed on top of the chamber and still serves as the roof of the dolmen.
Calculations made it clear that it weighs about 150 tons. Scientists say lifting it and placing it on top of the camera would require scaffolding and strong cables. And to transport such blocks without damaging them would also require very smooth roads, the existence of which was difficult to imagine 5,700 years ago.
The research team also claims that the dolmen was deliberately oriented in a certain way to point in the desired direction. In particular, its position is oriented towards the nearby mountains, resulting in complex light patterns within the camera. Furthermore, modern scientists have concluded that ancient engineers developed a method that allowed smaller stones to be installed along the edges of the chamber. It is assumed that they reliably protected the dolmen from sewage and prevented erosion.