For myself, I hope I may be allowed to plead that I have spared no pains in investigating the materials placed at my disposal, and no haste in forming my conclusions; and I may also add, they are by no means those of predilection or that I wished to arrive at. When I first took up the subject, I hoped that the rude stone monuments would prove to be old,—so old, indeed, as to form the "incunabula" of other styles, and that we might thus, by a simple process, arrive at the genesis of styles. Bit by bit that theory has crumbled to pieces as my knowledge increased, and most reluctantly have I been forced to adopt the more prosaic conclusions of the present volume. If, however, this represents the truth, that must be allowed to be an ample compensation for the loss of any poetry which has hitherto hung round the mystery of the Rude Stone Monuments.
Langham Place, Dec. 1, 1871.
Footnotes
[1] What is really wanted now is, a "Megalithic Monument Publication Society." After the meeting of the Prehistoric Congress at Norwich, a committee for this purpose was formed in conjunction with the Ethnological Society. After several meetings everything was arranged and settled, but, alas! there were no funds to meet the necessary expenses, or, at least, risk of publication, and the whole thing fell through. To do what is wanted on a really efficient scale a payment or a guarantee of 1000l. would be necessary, and that is far beyond what is attainable in this poor country. If it could be obtained, the materials are abundant. Sir Henry Dryden alone could fill a volume with the materials he already possesses; and Lieut. Oliver, Mr. Conwell, and others, have drawings sufficient to keep the society at work for a long time.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| Introductory | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Preliminary Observations. Tumuli—Dolmens— | |
| Circles—Avenues—Menhirs | [29] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| England. Avebury and Stonehenge | [61] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Minor English Antiquities. Aylesford—Ashdown— | |
| Rollright—Penrith—Derbyshire— | |
| Stanton Drew—Smaller Circles—Dolmens | [116] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Ireland. Moytura—Cemeteries—Boyne— | |
| Lough Crew—Clover Hill—Dolmens | [175] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Scotland. Orkney Stone Circles—Orkney Barrows— | |
| Maes-Howe Dragon and Serpent-Knot— | |
| Holed Stone of Stennis—Callernish—Aberdeenshire Circles— | |
| Fiddes Hill—Clava Mounds—Stone at Aberlemmo— | |
| Sculptured Stones—Crosses in Isle of Man | [239] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Scandinavia and North Germany. Introductory—Battle-fields— | |
| Harald Hildetand's Tomb—Long Barrows—Tumuli— | |
| Dolmens—Drenthe: Hunebeds | [275] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| France. Introductory—Distribution of Dolmens—Age of Dolmens— | |
| Grottes des Fées—Demi-Dolmens—Rocking Stones—Carnac— | |
| Locmariaker—Alignments at Crozon—Age of the Monuments— | |
| What are these Monuments?—They must be Trophies— | |
| Time of the Fight—M. Bertrand's List of Dolmens in Thirty-one | |
| Departments of France | [325] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Introductory—Dolmens— | |
| Portugal—Italy | [377] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Algeria and Tripoli. Introductory—Bazinas and Chouchas— | |
| Free-Standing Dolmens—Age of Dolmens—Circle near Bona— | |
| The Nasamones—Origin of African Dolmen-builders—Tripoli: | |
| Trilithons—Buddhist Monument at Bangkok | [395] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Mediterranean Islands. Malta—Sardinia—Balearic Islands | [415] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Western Asia. Palestine—Sinai—Arabia—Asia Minor—Circassia— | |
| The Steppes—Cabul | [438] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| India. Introductory—Eastern India—Khassia—Western India— | |
| Geographical Distribution—Age of the Stone Monuments— | |
| Comparison of Dolmens—Buddhism in the West | [455] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| America. North America—Central America—Peru | [510] |
| Appendix A.—Glens Columbkille and Malin | [520] |
| "B.—Oden's Howe, &c., Upsala | [526] |
| "C.—Antiquities of Caithness | [527] |
| Index | [533] |