There is still no unequivocal opinion on the purpose of the construction of the Caucasus dolmens. One of the versions: dolmens are burials, crypts. There are versions of the technology for their construction. An alternative and one of the most understandable is the casting (or molding) of dolmen slabs from geoconcrete (outcrops of cold fluidolites, clays) into the sand formwork. I wrote about this here.
Dolmens were widespread not only in the Caucasus, but also in Europe and India. But it turns out that this map is not complete. The construction of dolmens as burials is still common on one of the islands of Indonesia: the island of Sumba. I propose to look at and draw analogies in the forms of dolmens of this island and draw attention to a number of some details.
Promotional video:
On the island, there is a tradition among local residents to bury in such stone crypts, which are very similar to the dolmens of the Caucasus and Europe.
Some dolmens are covered with massive slabs with stone legs. Moreover, this is not protection against tomb robbers (protection for the future). The plate from above does not interfere with the sliding of the less massive dolmen lids. This means that this is some other meaning.
Burial at the seashore.
Some dolmen tombs are sealed with concrete or stone cork. As well as the dolmens of the Caucasus: stone plugs were also found next to some.
You can trace the change in the manufacturing technology of these dolmens in the photos below: stone, concrete, and tiled:
Most of the dolmens have a stone pattern (last three slides). These patterns reminded me of woodcarving patterns:
Maybe a coincidence, or maybe the remnants of planetary traditions, preserved and transferred through the centuries. Now you can't say for sure. Let us call this observation simply: striking analogies.
Let's move on to another question: how and where were these stone dolmens made?
Quarries were found in this place of the island, where slabs (covers) for dolmens were cut.
Photographs of how these slabs were recently moved in a primitive way to the place of installation have been preserved. There is a less old video showing how the locals manually move the stove over the logs to the place they need:
Photos of modern transportation of plates and megaliths
Having looked at all this, the question arises: why did the aborigines of this island decide to make burials in stone crypts? And to build them, the forces of the entire tribe (and now the villages) were needed. Maybe they spied on this ritual from more progressive representatives who once lived somewhere here? And all this is a cargo cult? I think if you ask them about it, the answer will be: this is what our ancestors did. And why did the ancestors, who did not even know how to sew clothes, decided to cut down stone slabs and build crypts from them?
Could it really be a kargokult similar to modern examples?
Another observation on analogies:
When preparing the material for this article, I kept thinking that the roofs of these buildings remind me? After all, for some reason, the Indonesians from this island decided to build just such a roof shape? And there was a feeling that I had already seen something of this form. It was a megalith from Japan:
Megalith Ishi-No-Hoden in Japan. Very similar top element. Is it all part of a single culture or civilization? Stone fragments and cargo cult of which we see on the surviving pieces of land?
Author: sibved