Early science and colossal stone engineering in Menga, a Neolithic dolmen (Antequera, Spain)
José Antonio Lozano Rodríguez https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4598-4472 , Leonardo García Sanjuán https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8404-9252, Francisco J. Jiménez-Espejo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0335-8580, Antonio M. Álvarez-Valero https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9707-0168, Jesús M. Arrieta https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0190-6950, Eugenio Fraile-Nuez https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4250-4445, Antonio García-Alix https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1823-488X, Raquel Montero Artus https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0792-1502, and Francisco Martínez-Sevilla
Science Advances
23 Aug 2024
Vol 10, Issue 34
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp1295
Abstract
Megaliths represent the earliest form of monumental stone architecture. The earliest megalithic chambers in Europe appeared in France in the fifth millennium BCE. Menga is the oldest of the great dolmens in Iberia (approximately 3800 to 3600 BCE). Menga’s capstone #5 weighing 150 tons is the largest stone ever moved in Iberia as part of the megalithic phenomenon and one of the largest in Europe. The research presented here proposes a completely innovative interpretation of how this colossal monument was built. It comprises a geoarchaeological analysis encompassing three major components: (i) the angles of the planes of each stone, (ii) the stratigraphic polarity of each structural element, and (iii) the depth of the foundations. Our results show that Menga is a unique example of creative genius and early science among Neolithic societies. It was designed as a completely original engineering project, for which we know of no precedents in Iberia.
INTRODUCTION
Megaliths are structures made of large stones and are found in variety of regions throughout the world. In Late Prehistoric Europe, megalithic monumentality was a widespread phenomenon, spanning 3000 years, from the mid-fifth (France) to the late second millennia (Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Greece). Megaliths, the earliest stone-made monumental constructions, framed and embodied profound social and ideological messages in a long-lasting and visible manner. The longevity of the large stones (as opposed to wood) and their visual impact on the surrounding landscapes suggest that long-term persistence was a major driver in their construction (1, 2). As monuments endowed with deep social significance and cultural memory, megaliths often present extended biographies, spanning several millennia of use, frequentation, and transformation, which makes them one of the most enduring and fascinating phenomena in human history (3).
As Colin Renfrew noted half a century ago (4), large megaliths demanded the mobilization of a substantial labor force and the deployment of advanced engineering and architectural expertise in stone construction never attained before. Megalithic monuments are prominent and pervasive features raising a wide interest in contemporary society. Yet, multidisciplinary studies of early megalithic engineering supported by archaeological, petrological, stratigraphic, and geological evidence have been quite rare, although some exceptions exist (5–9). This is surprising, since technology mediates human interaction with the world, and its knowledge is essential to comprehend past societies.
Here, we examine a great Neolithic engineering feat: the Menga dolmen, Iberia’s largest megalithic monument. As listed by UNESCO, the Antequera megalithic site includes two natural formations, La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal karstic massif, and four major megalithic monuments: Menga, Viera, El Romeral, and the one recently discovered at Piedras Blancas, at the foot of La Peña de los Enamorados (10) (Fig. 1A). Menga, built between approximately 3800 and 3600 BCE, is the earliest of all four megaliths and stands out on account of its enormous size and the colossal weight of its stones (Fig. 1, B to E). Its extraordinary dimensions demanded sophisticated design and planning, a large mobilization of labor, as well as perfectly executed logistics. Because of the originality of design, with three preserved pillars aligned with the central axis of the monument, and the massive size of the stones, Menga was already acknowledged as a groundbreaking discovery shortly after the first explorations were undertaken in the 1840s (11).
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Fig. 1. Location and interior of the Menga dolmen.
(A) Panoramic view of the city of Antequera, with the location of the Cerro de la Cruz quarry, the Viera and Menga dolmens, the Tholos of El Romeral, and the Piedras Blancas at La Peña de los Enamorados. (B) Entrance to Menga. (C) Interior of the dolmen from the second pillar. (D) Interior of Menga, and three pillars currently preserved. (E) Dolmen chamber. Credits: (A) and (B) correspond to the main author; (C) and (E) were provided by the Antequera Dolmens Archaeological Site on behalf of the Andalusian Regional Government (Miguel Ángel Blanca de la Rubia); (D) (61).
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https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp1295