Symbol and Stone · HOW MEGALITHIC ART TRANSFORMED NEOLITHIC AND COPPER AGE SOCIETIES

SYMBOL AND STONE: HOW MEGALITHIC ART TRANSFORMED NEOLITHIC AND COPPER AGE SOCIETIES

SYMBOL AND STONE is a comparative study of megalithic art in Europe to analyze and explain how inter-cultural exchange between prehistoric societies (~4500-2500 cal BC) shaped megalithic art, and to theorize and interpret the significance and function of these images. Most of the ~35´000 still existing European megaliths, which include megalithic tombs, standing stones, stone circles, alignments, and megalithic buildings or temples, were constructed during the Neolithic and the Copper Ages and are located in coastal areas. Paintings and engravings are known from several hundreds of these megaliths, especially from Brittany, Andalusia, Portugal, Galicia, Catalonia, Sardinia, the Maltese archipelago, Ireland and Scotland depicting angular designs, curvilinear and circular motifs, spirals, waves, zigzags, triangles, trees, anthropomorphic figures, boats, animals, house sketches, weapons etc. Some are combined to form complex symbolic systems. Strikingly, identical motifs and symbol groups can be found separated by long distances. Did the megalithic art develop independently in the singular regions, or are these images the results of transcultural encounters? If the latter, how was the transfer of the symbols accomplished? What was the significance of these images and what role did they play for the memory and ritual culture of these non-literate societies? These are the main research questions. The specific objectives of the SYMBOL AND STONE project are: (a) to investigate in a comparative study megalithic art in Europe, in order to find indications for mobility, intercultural exchange, symbolic transmission and social transformation in Europe (4500-2500 cal BC). b) to discuss the ways in which images and ideas were transferred between megalithic societies c) to define, using an iconographic, semiotic and performative approach, the significance of these symbols for the prehistoric societies

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