Neolithic Farmers Used Advanced Sciences To Build Ancient Structure
For many years now, researchers have struggled to comprehend how ancient civilizations were able to construct some of the marvels that they did. From the pyramids, to Stonehenge, it almost feels unbelievable that such things could be made without use of the modern technology that we have come to rely on. But now researchers believe Neolithic farmers had more engineering know-how than they assumed, which helped them build the Dolmen of Menga.
A Mystery
The Dolmen of Menga is a stone chamber that exists in southern Spain, thought to have been created nearly 6,000 years ago. But the thing is, we know it was just Neolithic farmers and herders who inhabited this area, so it has long been a wonder not only how they physically moved the gigantic slabs into place, but also how they possessed the knowledge to make it last for millenniums.
Nothing Magical
While there are lots of wild theories suggesting that the pyramids were actually created by space aliens or some other force beyond this world, what researchers are finding is ancient civilizations simply had far more advanced knowledge than what we assumed. They believe they have deduced how the Dolmen of Menga was constructed and there are no supernatural forces at play behind it.
Similar To Stonehenge
What researchers learned is that the Dolmen of Menga was made using 32 giant stone blocks from a nearby quarry. The largest of these slabs weighed 150 tonnes.
Bringing these to the site for the structure would already have been difficult due to their immense weight, but it would also be a challenge due to the possibility of the terrain breaking them if they were dragged across the ground.
Researchers believe the Neolithic farmers solved both of these problems by constructing wooden tracks along the ground to make for a smoother journey for the slabs. It is also believed this is how the rocks that comprise Stonehenge were put into place. But for the Dolmen of Menga, it was arguably even more of a challenge because the structure had to be safe to enter without it collapsing.
An involved Process
As for getting the rocks of the Dolmen of Menga into position, researchers believe the creators used ramps and counterweights to get them at the right angle.
Then they also created grooves in the ground to create sockets to hold the slabs, like a hole made for a screw. It would have all been an extremely involved process with little room for error.
Archaeologist Michael Parker Pearson with University College London describes the achievement that the construction of the Dolmen of Menga is. “I’ve always been amazed by the engineering skills needed to build this dolmen,” he said. “With such big stones, they could not have afforded to make mistakes when manoeuvring them into position. If even just one was a few centimetres out, that would have been hard to correct once an upright stone was set in its trench.”
Ancient Wonders
Even more impressive concerning the Dolmen of Menga is that it is located in a region that is susceptible to regular earthquakes.
This is a structure that remains standing despite highly turbulent conditions that would have knocked down even many modern buildings. And yet the Neolithic farmers made something that has endured for thousands of years.
While the mystifying nature of ancient wonders like the Dolmen of Menga are being solved, it does not take away from how truly incredible they are.
They are a testament to how ancient civilizations were far more scientifically advanced than what we would have assumed.
Source: Nature
