Stone Age man applied geology, physics, geometry to build Spanish burial mound

Spain

People in the Stone Age likely had knowledge of geometry, astronomy, physics, geology and more and used it to build megalithic monuments, a new study has found. Archaeologists studied a megalithic burial mound in Spain built 6,000 years ago. It is made using stones that weigh thousands of tonnes more than the ones used to make Stonehenge. This they say was made possible by the use of "advanced engineering".

The Dolmen de Menga burial mound is the oldest and one of the largest megalithic monuments in Europe. It was built around 3800 to 3600 BC. Some of the stones used in the Menga mound weigh 150 tonnes. It comprises stone walls, a stone ceiling and stone pillars.

Scientists have tried to figure out for years how a primitive Stone Age culture built such a monument using extremely heavy stones. It has been standing for 6,000 years now, so something extraordinary might have gone into its making.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, suggests advanced knowledge in the fields of geology, physics, geometry, and astronomy went into creating the megalith.

Science behind carving, carrying and placing heavy stones

Each stone weighed over 100 tonnes and was carved from a hill site about 850 metres away. They were placed on sledges and dragged over a wooden trackway. Each stone was wedged tightly with the help of counterweights and ramps.

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The stones were placed at a slight inward angle using levers. This was done to reduce the size of the roof needed and also made the monument look more trapezoidal, archaeologists say. The pillar stones were also placed in a similar manner. The structure was then topped with massive capstones that acted as the roof.

“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,” the researchers said. 

The entire structure required extreme precision. The Menga has pillars that support the gigantic capstones. A high degree of precision can be seen in the interlocking of the upright stones, which proves that the neolithic people knew a lot more than we think.