Dolmens of the Caucasus. Dolmens in the Krasnodar Territory in the Caucasus

Are you here: Note to the owner

Many scientists have tried one way or another to approach the resolution of the issue of the origin of dolmens, to find out the details of their origin and appearance in the Caucasus. Among the antiquities of the Kuban region and the Black Sea region, no monuments have yet been found that would be structurally close and at the same time preceded them. Obviously, they will not be found. It turns out that the dolmen culture has no genetic roots among the antiquities of the Kuban and Black Sea regions. There was no “long-term previous development of local culture” in the Western Caucasus, which could lead to the independent emergence of dolmens, even if you try to connect the evolution of the “stone industry” from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age with a continuous line.

An attempt to explain the emergence of dolmens in each part of the world independently, in the case of the Caucasus, does not find any grounds. Jacques de Morgan writes about the autochthonous origin of dolmen structures: “... you don’t need to be influenced by distant centers at all in order to erect large stones and cover them with a roof.” The prerequisites for such a statement were rather late tombs in Talyn (Azerbaijan), which he mistook for dolmens, and the well-known theory that the dolmen construction could have arisen “from a grotto that served as a tomb, an artificially reproduced form of which was the dolmen.” This “cave theory” had many supporters among Western European scientists (Gabriel de Mortillet, K. Schuchhardt, Christian Tservos, etc.). Our compatriots who were engaged in Caucasian archeology (D.N. Anuchin, M.M. Ivashchenko) were also inclined to it. However, if the provision on the transition from burials in rocks to a certain extent, it is true for some islands of the Mediterranean Sea (Corsica, Sardinia, etc.), where buildings are known that are semi-grottoes - semi-dolmens, then especially The features of the monuments of the Western Caucasus indicate a different path of development.

The lack of initial paths for the appearance of dolmens in the Kuban and Black Sea regions led some researchers to search for directions along which the “idea” of a dolmen could come to the Caucasus. In the 70s of the XIX century, the scientist S. Bayern, collecting information about them, was surprised that all the dolmens are located either near the Black Sea itself, or not so far from the coast. Having studied the map of the location of dolmens, one can come to the conclusion that in the Caucasus they could only appear from the sea.

The famous archaeologist B.A. Kuftin also intensively searched for ways to clarify this issue of interest. He believed that it could be resolved only on the basis of taking into account real engines historical process and their correlation with the geography of natural forces to the extent of the development of the latter by human economic activity. Using the concept of "cultural production groups", B.A. Kuftin believed that for dolmens such a "group" could exist in the Mediterranean, on the Deccan Peninsula and in the Southern Caspian. L.N. Solovyov, highlighting the "southern dolmen culture", assumed that the carriers of this culture did not come to the construction of dolmens on their own, but using "ready-made forms", widespread in "Asia Minor", especially in Syria and Palestine. This construction, in his opinion, arose early “under the influence of ties with the Asia Minor cultural world carried out by sea.” L.N. was reflected in the expansion of the construction of dolmens in this part of the Caucasus. "Further, at the turn of the III-II millennium, according to L.N. Solovyov, from Asia Minor there is an invasion of Kashki - tribes," in all likelihood related to the South Dolmen "population, with At the same time, kashki (according to L.N. Solovyov they are carriers of the “proto-Colchian culture”) brought new types of dishes and skills in metallurgy to the local environment.

A number of other well-known scientists associate the appearance of dolmens in the Western Caucasus with the development of commercial and military navigation among the coastal peoples in the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, when "Caucasian masters" could see dolmens in other countries and then erect them in their homeland. We should also recall the statement of Academician B. B. Piotrovsky, who noted that “the shape of the Caucasian dolmens coincides so much, even in detail, with the Mediterranean and European ones that the question of their connections is quite natural.”

megalithic cromlech dolmen architecture

Dolmens of the Western Caucasus- megalithic tombs left by representatives of the dolmen culture of the Middle Bronze Age. Distributed from the Taman Peninsula (Cape Tuzla) and further in the mountainous regions of the Krasnodar Territory and Adygea. In the southern part they reach the city of Ochamchire in Abkhazia, and in the north - to the valley of the Laba River. But earlier there were in the area of the city of Zheleznovodsk in the Stavropol Territory and, possibly, in other places. A separate closed region of distribution of original dolmens or "dolmen-like crypts" of late construction is the Upper Kuban region (the basin of the Kyafar River in Karachay-Cherkessia).

Only a small part of the dolmens has been studied. Almost all of them are not protected, suffer from vandals, and are also destroyed for natural reasons. The West Caucasian dolmens were built at the end of the 3rd - second floor. 2 thousand BC e. To date, about 3,000 West Caucasian megaliths have survived, including partially destroyed ones. Often dolmens are also called megalithic under-kurgan tombs of the Novosvobodnenskaya culture. The status of the tombs in Karachay-Cherkessia is still rather uncertain. It is now believed that they were built by people of the late period of the dolmen culture, and the medieval Alans simply inserted their stone boxes into them.

In addition to classical dolmens, small structures assembled from random stones are also common on the southern slope of the Main Caucasian Range. There are also small underground well-shaped composite tombs. They are covered by an incomplete false vault and a covering slab. Even an above-ground tomb with a real dome filled with small tiles is known. If the well-shaped tombs unequivocally belong to the dolmen culture, then with the chronology of others, there is still no complete clarity.

Origin

Regardless of their origin, dolmens in the Western Caucasus did not appear from scratch. More ancient stone tombs are known in the burial mounds of the Maikop and Novosvobodnenskaya cultures (or in other words, in the early and late periods of the Maikop-Novosvobodnaya community). But still, the closest analogues to the Caucasian dolmens, in terms of architecture and, to some extent, in terms of the inventory contained in them, are in the Mediterranean basin. There is also a temporal correspondence. The path of the bearers of the dolmen tradition can be traced in reverse order approximately like this. The Western Caucasus and the Western Black Sea coast - the coast of Asia Minor - Sicily and North Africa - Sardinia - Portugal. This is, of course, only a preliminary sketch.

Simultaneously with the dolmens, their neighbors in the west and northwest - representatives of the Kemi-Oba culture - built stone boxes, sometimes with grooves in the slabs, and even painted them. In general, throughout the Caucasus (including in the steppe regions) graves were lined with stone slabs, and in some places huge megaliths were built (Armenia, Georgia). The only question is whether there are mutual cultural influences in each of these cases.

Location of dolmens

There are some patterns in the location of dolmens: they are usually located on flat areas on the peaks or on the sunny slopes of the ridges (mainly at altitudes of 250-400 m above sea level, the maximum height is more than 1000 m) or on river terraces. The vast majority of dolmens are oriented down the sunny slope, which implies a fairly large spread of directions. If this was not possible, then the dolmen was guided at least by a sunlit area on the opposite ridge. In addition, the orientation to specific astronomically significant points on the horizon was noted.

The purpose of the dolmens

As a type of tombs, the dolmens of the Western Caucasus are on a par with many similar structures of all times and peoples. Of course, they also had to fulfill the function of a sanctuary, most likely a family or tribal one: this, for example, is evidenced by the discovery of a stone altar during the reconstruction of the dolmen complex on Zhana (located in Gelendzhiksky local history museum). The newly reconstructed complex on the Zhane River, as well as many dolmens with "courtyards", allow us to imagine the ceremonies that once took place there.

Some dolmen complexes were clearly designed to be visited by a significant number of people. These are, first of all, the megalithic mound Psynako I near the village of Anastasievka in the Tuapse district, the Silver Mound in the Klady tract near the village of Novosvobodnaya and the same complex on the Zhana River. They could well fulfill the role of tribal objects of worship. Unfortunately, the museumification of the first has not been carried out, and the second has been practically destroyed.

Construction of dolmens

For the construction of dolmens, stone from the closest deposits was used, if possible. If there were suitable plates of natural origin nearby, then they were also collected. But if there was no choice, then the cut-out slabs could be transported for several kilometers.

Used for buildings different kinds sandstones and limestones. Different rocks could be combined in one building, for example, limestone, yellow sandstone and reddish ferruginous sandstone, or yellow sandstone and the same, but with layers of shell rock, etc. In the quarry, the power of wooden wedges swelling from water was used to break the stone.

Fresh quarry stone is softer and can even be worked with stone tools. But the builders of the dolmen culture also had bronze chisels in their arsenal, whose clear traces are constantly found when studying buildings. It is assumed that the processed plates could be aged for some time before use in order to gain sufficient hardness. Grinding of surfaces and grooves was carried out by stone grinders, which are found in construction sites. The cover slab was dragged along the sloping embankment behind the dolmen.

Dolmen architecture

Design

Rarely, but it happens that horizontal grooves are found inside the chamber - grooves for a wooden shelf. And there is one case of having a round recess above such a shelf, directly opposite the inlet.

Composite dolmens may differ from tiled ones only in that not all of their slabs are solid. But they can be assembled from separate blocks to a large extent or even completely. Trough-shaped dolmens, hollowed out in a rock or a separate large stone, usually have an imitation of a tiled dolmen portal on the facade. And they can also be false portal. Most rare view- monolithic dolmens differ only in that they do not have a removable roof, as they were hollowed out through the inlet. For dolmens of the latter type, only weakly cemented sandstone in its thickness was used. To date, one relatively intact (Volkonsky dolmen) and one unfinished monoliths have been preserved.

The dolmen is often located on a slope, and its portal can form a terrace. One case is known when several extended terraces form a kind of ziggurat. But more often the territory in front of the dolmen facade is designed in the form patio. it different kind paved areas sometimes even surrounded by walls of large slabs. The height of such a wall can even reach the level of the roof of the dolmen itself. Sometimes a dolmen surrounds a circle of stones dug into the ground - cromlech, which can also play the role of a crepe (kerb) for the floor of the mound. Rare for Caucasian dolmens is dromos- covered corridor, with parallel or converging walls, leading to the dolmen hole. It used to be that the corridor was formed by an alley of menhirs. Naturally, in these options, the courtyard was away from the dolmen. Unfortunately, not all architectural delights have survived to this day.

Not all dolmens are open. Many were covered with stones up to the roof or even ended up inside a high mound. Sometimes only the facade of the dolmen remained open. Sometimes a dromos led to him. One case is known when the dolmen was not in a blockage of stones - a cairn, but in an empty space, that is, in a tholos (Psynako I). Although in some places there are also possible traces of such structures.

After the termination of burials, dolmens in mounds, but with an open facade or with a dromos, still ended up in the thickness of the mound. They were deliberately filled up or just over time, the earth and stones began to flow. It is not at all necessary that mounds over dolmens were always built by people of the dolmen culture. This could be done by those who came later and reused the tombs.

The tombs in Karachay-Cherkessia are distinguished by the fact that they are rectangular in plan and built from well-worked even slabs. Long sides each of the stone long slabs or bars is typed. End plates can be rectangular, with grooves for connecting to the sidewalls, and consist of one or two parts or have the shape of a stepped triangle. The ceilings are flat from two long slabs or in the form of a house. In the second version, the roof is built with long bars and starts from the very bottom. Everything is connected with the help of corresponding grooves. Sometimes a dowel connection is also used. There is a round inlet, closed with a stopper. Inside this structure is a smaller one - a stone box roughly assembled from limestone.

ornamentation

Pattern "flowing water" on the wall of a composite dolmen from Mount Neksis

Ornamented dolmen, Zhane river valley

Compared to the total number, quite a few dolmens are decorated with engraved and even relief ornaments. But, probably, many of them simply did not reach our time due to the erosion of the stone. Ornaments are located throughout the portal and inside the chamber. There is an image on the front plate with a cross in a circle and a labyrinth-like pattern similar to a comb with a zigzag extending from it and the inlet. Sometimes there are just rows of vertical zigzags. On the front slab, an image of another dolmen portal is sometimes placed, as well as one or two pairs of large bulges. Rows of vertical and horizontal zigzags may have ends of side plates. And attached portal plates on the inner plane are sometimes decorated with a landscape consisting of a series of triangles (mountains) and vertical rows of zigzags (rivers). Above the mountains is placed the sun in the form of an oval with a cross. Sometimes the entire portal slab is covered with horizontal stripes, each of which is formed by a herringbone pattern of chisel cuts. The side plates can also be decorated in this way. Recently, a dolmen was found, whose facade is decorated with embossed diagonal stripes, forming a large "Christmas tree", enclosed in a certain frame or image of the portal. Inside the dolmen chamber is sometimes surrounded by a horizontal zigzag of a wide strip and a straight line above the horizontal zigzag. In the second case, a series of hanging triangles or scallops is obtained. In another version, the zigzag, on the contrary, is above a straight line, whose role is played by the seam in horizontal masonry. This design can be further complemented by sections with vertical zigzags. Stone plugs can also have embossed concentric circles on the cap, like a nipple in the center, four bulges around the circumference and one in the center, or a embossed cross.

Sometimes on the roof of a dolmen there are numerous small bowl-shaped depressions or holes scattered over the surface randomly or forming short rows and circles with crosses inside. Similar signs are also found on the side and front plates of dolmens. And also on separate stones near the dolmens, where they can also have a circle around them.

Several simple engraved petroglyphic drawings on dolmens are also known. Their meaning is not yet clear, as well as the time of their application is unknown.

Recently discovered two plot engraved images. These are scenes of a deer hunt and a fight (or dance?) of two people. The second plot from the dolmen in the village of Dzhubga is fully consistent famous images on anthropomorphic steles of the Kemi-Oba culture. Which, of course, is extremely important.

Crypts with medieval Alanian burials in Karachay-Cherkessia, almost completely covered with wavy furrows and various symbols, stand apart. It is believed that it was the Alans who decorated the more ancient buildings. The so-called “royal mausoleum”, in which Christian motifs are already found, is especially distinguished by its plot images.

There are almost no dolmens in which there are traces of colorful painting in the chamber and on the facade. The poorly preserved coloring in the dolmen of the Silver Mound is now completely disfigured by vandals. And the color drawings in the two two-chamber Novosvobodnaya tombs are not directly related to the dolmens themselves. Although, nevertheless, some parallels can be found in the megalithic art of Europe.

List of some notable dolmens

Gallery

Notes

Literature

Voronov Yu. N. Antiquities of Sochi and its environs. - Krasnodar: Prince. publishing house, 1979. - S. 45-57.
Kondryakov N.V. Dromoses and cromlechs of dolmens of the Western Caucasus // Sochi local historian. - Sochi, 1999. - Issue. 5. The same in doc. Separately illustrated: 1 sheet, 2 sheet, 3 sheet.
Kondryakov N.V. New data on the dolmens of the Northern Black Sea region // Archeology, architecture and ethnographic processes of the North-Western Caucasus. - Yekaterinburg, 1997.
Kondryakov N.V. Secrets of Sochi dolmens. - 2002. - 67 p. 2nd ed. - Maykop: Quality, 2010. -132 p. - ISBN 978 5 9703 0219 4
Kudin M.I. Archaeoastronomy and dolmens // Sochi local historian. - 2000. - No. 7. The same in doc.
Kudin M.I. Dolmens and ritual // Sochi local historian. - Sochi, 1999. - Issue. 4. The same in doc. Continued in doc: 2000. - Vol. 6. Both parts.
Kuznetsov V. A. In the upper reaches of the Big Zelenchuk. - M.: Art, 1977. - (Roads to the beautiful). - S. 88-106.
Lavrov L.I. Dolmens of the North-Western Caucasus // Proceedings of Abiyali. - Sukhumi, 1960. - T. 31.
Markovin V.I. Dolmennye monuments of the Kuban and the Black Sea. - 1997.
Markovin V.I. Dolmen buildings in the Kyafar river basin // SA, 1983. - No. 2. - P. 90-109.
Markovin V.I. Dolmens of the Western Caucasus. - M.: Nauka, 1978. - 328 p. one
Markovin V.I. Dolmens of the Western Caucasus // Bronze Age of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Early and Middle Bronze Age of the Caucasus. - M.: Nauka, 1994. - Archeology from ancient times to the Middle Ages, in 20 volumes - S. 226-253. - ISBN 5 02 009723 3
Markovin V.I. Ispun - houses of dwarfs: Notes on dolmens of the Western Caucasus. - Krasnodar: Prince. publishing house, 1985. - 112 p.
Rezepkin A. D. To the question of the classification of dolmens and the funeral rite of "dolmen culture" // Man and antiquity: in memory of Alexander Alexandrovich Formozov (1928-2009). - Tula: Grif and K, 2010.
Rezepkin A. D. Typology of megalithic tombs of the Western Caucasus // VAA. - Maykop, 1988. - S. 156-163.
Rysin M. B. Dating of complexes from Asheri // SA, 1990. - No. 2 (with a similar title and text, see also: KSIA, 1990. - Issue 199).
Semyonov V. A. Primitive Art: Stone Age. Bronze Age. - St. Petersburg: Azbuka-klassika, 2008. - S. 370-378. - ISBN 978 5 91181 903 3
Teshev M.K. Megalithic architectural complex Psynako I in the Tuapse region // VAA. - Maykop, 1988. - S. 164-169.
Trifonov V. A. What do we know about the dolmens of the Western Caucasus and what does the history of their study teach // Dolmens - witnesses of ancient civilizations. - Krasnodar, 2001.
Felitsyn E. D. West Caucasian dolmens // Materials on the archeology of the Caucasus. M., 1904.

List of abbreviations

Abiyali - Abkhaz Institute of Language, Literature and History named after A. D. I. Gulia. Sukhumi
VAA - Questions of archeology of Adygea
KSIA - Brief messages on reports and field studies of the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR
SA - Soviet archeology
USU - Ural State University

Links

Gavrilov M.V. Megalithic monuments of the Republic of Adygea as objects of world cultural heritage and some possibilities of their use in the field of tourism
"Koliho. The secret of the dolmens of the Caucasus. Popular science film
Markovin V.I. Controversial problems in the study of dolmens in the Western Caucasus

Dolmen culture
Forms of manifestation:	Dolmen \| Dolmens of the North-West Caucasus\|Dolmen-Sanctuary\| Cup stone \| Megalithic complex \| Cromlech (Menhirs) \| Stone box \| Atsanguara \| Tomb
Dolmen types:	Monolithic \| Composite \| Trough-shaped \| False portal \| Tiled
Unique objects:	Volkonsky \| Psenaco I \| Atsanguara \| Kudepsta stone\| Nalchik tomb \| Kishpek tomb \| Heart-stone \| Shapsug Triangle
Unique settlements:	Degua \| settlements in the Vorontsov cave system
Researchers:

The article is devoted to the dolmens of the Western Caucasus, which are considered not only as monuments of the ancient material culture, but also as significant tourist sites that have become a real brand of the Olympic Sochi. The author provides interesting information about the mystical power of dolmens, draws comparative parallels with famous megaliths abroad, and reveals the reason for people's interest in monuments of dolmen culture.

Dolmen culture of the Western Caucasus: geography and heritage

According to the ancient legends of the highlanders, along with the Narts - ancient giants - tiny people lived in the Caucasus, weak and helpless, riding hares ... Out of pity for this small people, the Narts erected impregnable fortresses-houses from huge stone slabs, where in the front had small openings that only very small people could enter. Therefore, the Circassians called the dolmens "ispun", that is, houses for dwarfs.

Ancient dolmens in the life and epic of the highlanders

Dolmens are the oldest religious buildings, the name of which comes from the Breton words "taol" and "taep", which means "stone table". Indeed, the design of dolmens outwardly resembles a table, since a powerful flat stone slab rests on several supports standing on the earthen surface. Dolmens are classified as megalithic structures or simply megaliths - structures made of large hewn stones, used mainly for tombs. Ancient megaliths have long been of interest to researchers and ordinary people, but if the former deeply and systematically study megalithic culture, the latter consider dolmens as a picturesque part of the landscape, giving them special mystical properties, using them mainly as objects of tourist display.

At the same time, it is very interesting and useful to trace the attitude of people to dolmens and to the entire dolmen culture within the framework of any one territory.

As you know, dolmens are found in the most different corners planets: in North Africa, Europe, South Korea and others, but we will try to explore some aspects of the manifestation of dolmen culture in the Western Caucasus and in particular Greater Sochi.

The culture of dolmens developed on the territory of the modern city of Sochi in the Middle Bronze Age. It mainly includes dolmens - monumental tombs, corresponding deposits in the Big Vorontsovskaya cave and individual objects scattered around different areas Greater Sochi. The territory that

At the entrance to the Great Vorontsovskaya Cave in the Khostinsky District of Sochi (photo by the author)

now it occupies the famous Russian resort, it has always differed from other areas of the Black Sea region by its difficult terrain due to the strong dissection of the relief. Most likely, for this reason, the Sochi dolmens became known to the scientific community later than similar structures in other regions.

One of the first to describe and sketch the Sochi dolmens in detail was Alexander Miller, a well-known Russian explorer of the Caucasus, ethnographer and archaeologist. In 1907, he described and sketched several dolmens in the valley of the Ashe River and a trough-shaped monolith in the Mamedov Gorge on the territory of the current Lazarevsky district of Sochi. Although the

Composite dolmen in the courtyard of the Museum of the History of the city of Sochi (photo by the author)

Trough-shaped monolith "Healer"

Most likely, he was not the first to discover this monument, since even now one can clearly distinguish the image of the Maltese cross carved in stone with the date next to it - 1906.

Today, this dolmen is especially famous and revered in these parts, it is called the "Healer", attributing a special energy that can endow people and animals with a rare vitality. People living nearby claim that on May 19, 1986, they were awakened at night by a loud roar, although the weather was clear and calm. In the morning it turned out that three powerful trees, pulled out of the ground like light blades of grass, lay near the dolmen, and the fourth, half-burnt, was still smoking and had a bizarre shape. These trees still lie near the dolmen today, reinforcing the extraordinary impression made by this mysterious megalith, shaped like an Egyptian pyramid.

Locals even notice an increase in the number of wild animals in this place and their quite peaceful attitude towards people. They say that hares, who like to take sunbaths on it, especially fell in love with the dolmen. Or maybe it's not about sunbathing at all, but about mysterious dwarfs who, according to legend, lived in dolmens and rode hares...? Then it is quite possible to assume that the hares continue to patiently wait for "their owners."

In general, in talent and resort ingenuity local residents You can't refuse the Sochi coast. Any interesting object or phenomenon quickly forms the basis of a new excursion route. So, for example, an esoteric route has been formed on the “Healer” dolmen, where everyone is offered to feel the special rejuvenating energy of the dolmen. Of course, promises of rejuvenation are nothing more than spa advertising, but the power of Caucasian nature is truly amazing!

In this regard, one should pay tribute to the numerous researchers of the dolmen culture of the Western Caucasus, who have been observing these mysterious monuments of ancient material culture for two centuries now. The work of several dozen scientists was summarized and systematized in 1960 by researcher L.I. Lavrov, who created a complete catalog of dolmens. There were 1139 dolmens in it, and a scientific classification of dolmens in the Western Caucasus was proposed, which remains relevant at the present time.

All the variety of existing dolmens Lavrov divided into four groups:

1. A group of ordinary tiled dolmens. This is the most common type of megaliths, structurally representing a quadrangular box, each side of which, as well as the bottom and roof, is a separate monolithic slab.
2. A group of composite dolmens. These are structures with one or more walls made of smaller slabs.
3. A group of trough-shaped dolmens.
4. Group of dolmen-monoliths.

In 1978, researcher V.I. Markovin updated the catalog of dolmens, adding to it up to 2308 objects. Thanks to painstaking research work The era of dolmen culture, which flourished in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, has become more understandable and close to us - modern people.

Carefully studying the features of the development of dolmen culture, scientists pay attention to the fact that at the peak of its development, trapezoid-shaped tiled structures with profiles of clear proportions are widely used. This design gave the dolmens greater stability, facilitated the assembly of walls and the laying of ceilings. During this period, dolmen openings take on various forms (round, in the form of an arch, etc.). Under the tiled dolmens, carefully crafted heel stones appear - a kind of dolmen foundation. Many buildings are leaning against the slopes and even slightly let into them. In addition to tiled dolmens, trough-shaped ones were also created during this period - they are carved into the rocks, giving them the appearance of a dolmen only from the facade. By the end of the heyday of the dolmen culture, monolithic dolmens appeared. Such changes in the design of these places of worship, according to scientists, occur in connection with changes in funeral rites. In the late periods of dolmen culture (middle of the 2nd millennium BC), trough-shaped dolmens are supplemented by round-shaped chambers and jug-shaped outlines, and false portal structures are also noted.

In general, dolmen culture different regions the world has a lot in common. In particular, researchers of the megaliths of the Western Caucasus note their close resemblance to the tiled dolmens of the Mediterranean, as well as the megalithic monuments of Catalonia, France and North Africa. However, the archaeological heritage of the dolmen culture in Sochi and the Tuapse region is so large and diverse that it undoubtedly indicates its temporal duration, and the dolmens found and described represent the full range of all known structures of these samples of the megalithic era.

In general, the territory of the Sochi resort can be safely called the "World capital of dolmens", since there are three the most important feature its superiority over other regions rich in monuments of megalithic culture:

Firstly, all known types of monuments of dolmen culture are present on the territory of B. Sochi.

Secondly, some of the dolmens are architecturally completely unique and have no analogues in other regions: a monolith dolmen, dolmen-shaped well-shaped tombs (tholos), dolmen complexes (Psynako-I).

Thirdly, such design features as the surrounding of dolmens with a ring of stones (cromlech), the presence of corridors - dromos, tiled false portal structures, "reverse" dolmens and dolmens with two facades are found in the Sochi region in much greater numbers than in other areas with a developed dolmen culture.

As already mentioned, the region of the current city of Sochi in its poorly developed areas is difficult to pass. The dense Colchis forest protects many secluded corners of the resort from modern barbarism, but civilization is steadily advancing and crowding out protected natural areas, represented in particular by monuments of dolmen culture. Unfortunately, many magnificent examples of megalithic complexes have been irretrievably lost. In particular, they are broken into crushed stone and building stone, ruined by summer residents and private entrepreneurs, who exhibit huge monolithic stones in the form of decorations and alpine slides in cafes or private house gardens. Such "aesthetics" are not embarrassed by the fact that these stones are part of the burial structures. Of course, this is due to ignorance and some kind of pagan craving for worshiping the forces of nature, concluded, according to their ideas, in huge megaliths.

However, in one way or another, over the past few decades, the following have been destroyed: the dolmens of the “Glinische I” group, the dolmens of the “Soloniki II” group were broken, while laying a logging road, the end of the side slab of the dolmen of the “Nihekh I” group was almost destroyed, on which a rare zigzag ornament, and in 1997, during the construction of a gas pipeline in the Chernomorka tract, a unique tiled dolmen was covered with a dump, and this sad list, unfortunately, can be continued.

At the same time, about two hundred dolmens (189) are currently known on the territory of Sochi. Of these, 141 were examined, 48 were not examined.

If we talk about the departmental affiliation of the lands on which the monuments of dolmen culture are located, which is also important for ensuring their safety, then a quarter of them are located on the lands of the administration of the city of Sochi, and the rest on the territory of the Sochi National Park. Geographically, Sochi dolmens are located both on mountain slopes and at the mouths of mountain rivers. The greatest proximity of dolmens to the sea is noted in the basin of the Ashe and Psezupse rivers, as well as the Godlik stream in the Lazarevsky district, where the largest and most famous Volkonsky dolmen-monolith on the coast is located, which has become a real archaeological brand of the Olympic resort of Sochi.

Volkonsky dolmen-monolith - tourist brand of Sochi-2014

In general, the Lazarevsky district of Sochi is the most saturated with monuments of dolmen culture. A large number of dolmens are found on the way from Tuapse towards the village. Golovinka to the Shakha river. Few dolmens have been noted beyond the Shakhe River towards the center of Sochi and, as a rule, they are located in mountainous and hard-to-reach places. There are no dolmens in Sochi itself, except for the dolmen brought from Lazarevsky to the territory of the museum of the history of the resort city of Sochi.

In the Khostinsky district of the city, only one composite dolmen was found, the so-called "cult stone with seats" near the village. Kudepsta. In the Adler region, dolmens are located mainly in the area of the village. Krasnaya Polyana and Medoveevka. There is another interesting pattern in the location of the dolmens of the city of Sochi - they are all located in close proximity to springs or streams, since most of them were made of sandstone, the layers of which were formed in the immediate vicinity of water bodies.

Narts are the heroes of ancient epic tales of many Caucasian peoples.

Caucasian dolmens

In the area stretching from Novorossiysk to the Georgian city of Ochamchira, many thousands of years ago, unknown builders created a huge number (about 3,000) of amazing structures - dolmens. If this word is literally translated from the Breton language, then the name “table-stone” will turn out. They are indeed a bit like tables intended for unknown giants: huge polished quartz sandstone slabs, folded into a multi-ton structure.

The dolmens of the Caucasus are one of the most ancient, they are older Egyptian pyramids: Their age is about 7,000 years. In shape, Caucasian dolmens resemble houses for short people (a child and even an adult can sit in them). Adyghes call dolmens syrpuns, which means “dwarf’s house” in translation, there are even legends that speak of people of small stature, who in ancient times inhabited these lands and built shelter-houses for themselves.

Similar structures can be found all over the world - in Spain and Portugal, in England and France, on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea and in Asia ... Of course, they are different everywhere, but one thing unites them: blocks of stone are folded into a huge structure by an unknown force and with an incomprehensible purpose. On the territory of the famous Stonehenge there are also dolmens.

Dolmens of the Caucasus even have a front side, like real houses. There is a small hole in it that can be closed with a stone cork (only some dolmens have preserved it). The facade is decorated with the image of a gate (portal) leading to a certain (perhaps otherworldly) world, the Sun (in the form of a circle) and the Moon (in the form of a semicircle). Scientists who have studied dolmens hypothesize that they are places of burial or worship of the gods, sacred to the ancients.

There are other hypotheses, somewhat fantastic, but more interesting. In particular, some researchers believe that representatives of a completely different civilization lived on Earth before people. They possessed special knowledge and abilities, knew how to live according to the laws of goodness and harmony. But evil came to Earth, many began to violate the laws of good ... Then the most faithful went to remote places and built stone houses for themselves, in which they plunged into a special state in which life is maintained in the body at the level of a sleeping person, while the soul is awake, being in the superconscious condition. They gave their good energy and knowledge to the house where they spent a long time, i.e. the dolmen. That is why dolmens have fabulous possibilities, they can give health, peace, knowledge, but only to a kind person.

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author

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The study of prehistoric cultures Dolmens, megaliths and pyramids In the Neolithic there was another culture - the Sura-Dnieper. Small settlements of this culture are known. People lived in dwellings such as huts. Characteristic are stone vessels with a sharp bottom. During the period

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FEDERAL STATE BUDGET EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

"MOSCOW STATE CONSTRUCTION UNIVERSITY"

INSTITUTE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

ON THE DISCIPLINE "HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE"

Topic: Megalithic structures of the Ancient World. Dolmens of the Western Caucasus

Student: Aliyev Atanur Mazagim oglu, 3rd group.

Moscow 2014

Introduction

1. The origin of architecture. Overview of megalithic structures of the Ancient World

Dolmens of the Western Caucasus

1 Dolmen architecture

2 Construction machinery

3 Dolmens and ritual

Dolmens of the Western Caucasus and dolmens of the world - questions of connections and origin

Conclusion

Introduction

Architecture at all stages of social development organizes and creates an artificial open and closed internal spatial environment of residential, public and industrial buildings. As a sphere of material production, architecture relies on the capabilities and achievements of the building technology of its era, as a material environment, it serves as an impartial mirror social conditions life of society, like art - has a deep, intended emotional impact. Being at the same time a product of artistic and technical creativity, architectural activity is fruitful only with the interconnected solution of aesthetic and technical problems. At the same time, the socio-functional and emotional facets of architecture are embodied in material and spatial forms.

The origin of architecture belongs to the era Late Paleolithic. Construction activity, which solved utilitarian tasks, began to gradually turn to meet the spiritual needs of man. Aesthetic understanding and giving buildings an ideological and figurative content marked the arrival of a new phenomenon - architecture.

.The birth of architecture. Overview of megalithic structures of the Ancient World

In a primitive communal society spirituality was associated with the deification of the forces of nature and cosmic phenomena. In architecture, this spiritual principle manifested itself in the creation of megalithic structures that had a religious-ritual or funeral character. Megaliths (from the Greek words megas - large and lithos - stone) were built from very large (weighing from 2 to 30 tons) stones. They belong to the III-II millennium BC. e., but in some countries they were built later. General characteristic feature megaliths are stone blocks, slabs or blocks, often delivered from quarries located tens of kilometers away, sometimes with a large difference in height relative to the construction site. At the same time, the stones in some types of structures had an ideally tight fit at the seams (dolmens of the Western Caucasus, Inca buildings).

As a rule, megalithic structures did not serve as housing, and from the period of construction to the present day, only extremely scarce records have survived about the methods of construction and the purpose of these buildings. For the most part, the megalithic structures of antiquity, according to scientists, served for burials or were associated with a funeral cult. There are also opinions that some megaliths are communal structures, and their function is socializing. The construction of megaliths was a most difficult task for primitive technology and required the unification of large masses of people.

There are three main types of megalithic structures: menhirs, cromlechs and dolmens.

Menhir (from Low Breton<#"justify">Dolmens at the initial stage of development were a composition of three large stones (two vertical and one horizontal), then turned into a much larger structure of a significant number of vertical stones and a corresponding number of horizontal ones, covering a large space between the stones. In the largest dolmens there were for the first time ceilings with false vaults.

The appointment of dolmens as burial chambers seems to be more definite, as evidenced by the presence of burial places and sacrificial offerings to the deceased in the premises of the dolmens. In the interiors of dolmens, there are primitive, predominantly ornamental paintings and reliefs. They, along with specific murals on the theme of hunting in cave dwellings, represent the beginnings of the art of painting and sculpture. Dolmens were often covered with earth mounds, strengthening the mound from shedding by laying stones around its perimeter and arranging a secret entrance to the dolmen in the thickness of the mound. Archaeologists have found that sometimes dolmens served as a dwelling, but it is possible that they began to be used in this capacity later.

Only in 1912<#"justify">2.Dolmens of the Western Caucasus

1 Architecture of the dolmens of the Western Caucasus

Dolmens of the Western Caucasus, standing in rows, amaze with the similarity of individual parts, the proportional consistency of details. It has already been said that the concept of "symmetry of similarity" and "equal figures" is quite applicable to them. The desire to bring all dolmens closer to the original prototype is an indicator of deliberate, purposeful construction, when the architect or master mason knew what he would build, how he would get down to business. Only having samples, according to which dolmens were built, their builders could create similar (i.e. similar) buildings in a vast area: along the Black Sea coast, in the mountains of Abkhazia and Adygea, among forests and along watersheds. The dolmens of the Western Caucasus, if we again apply the term of natural scientists to them, can be called homologous figures. Each of them is similar to another dolmen building (be it of a different type), even if this other dolmen is located tens and hundreds of kilometers away. And despite this, each of them has its own individual architectural features: elongated or shortened proportions, a facade in the form of a niche or with side protrusions, etc. And all parts of the building are well thought out, it is impressive, its shape is laconic. The foregoing allows us to speak of the West Caucasian dolmen structures as works that have all the elements of real architecture.

Among the dolmens, the most massive are tiled buildings. They were a model for creating other types of dolmens. In them, the desire for mirror symmetry is most noticeable, that is, such a symmetry of “left and right”, with the help of which, according to G. Weil, “for centuries, man has tried to comprehend and create order, beauty and perfection.” Only in rare cases among the tiled dolmens can one notice disharmony, lack of symmetry. These are early buildings, in which individual walls were replaced with cobblestones (“Kozhzhokhskaya group” near the village of Kamennomostsky), and the latest, but both retain a certain proportionality. Trough-shaped dolmens carved into the rocks are sometimes equipped with an asymmetrical chamber (Soloniki, Tuapse region, etc.). But in their portal part, the desire is always noticeable, despite the unevenness of the rocks, to make the facade equilateral, to give it visual balance. Since in almost all dolmens one has to meet with similar facts, it means that this is not an accident, but reflects a certain pattern in their construction, which must be taken into account.

As already mentioned, the earliest of the slab structures are almost rectangular in shape (the dolmens of the Kozhzhokh group, structures No. 215 in the Kizinka river basin and near Mount Akupach in Abkhazia). They are made quite primitively, without heel stones and could not be stable. Probably, because of this, they were not widely used in dolmen architecture. The bulk of the West Caucasian dolmens is characterized by trapezoidal longitudinal and transverse sections and a chamber plan that has a similar shape. The ratio of the parts of the chamber emphasizes a certain and quite natural canonicity in the construction of dolmens from slabs. And the desire of ancient architects to create a building in the form of an obliquely cut pyramid with a wide base cannot be considered an accident, and this is exactly what tiled dolmens look like. It is extremely stable (the dolmens themselves serve as an example, they have stood for many centuries), since it is structurally close to the natural, natural forms of a static cone or gravity cone (a cone with its base down). Mountains have such a structure, trees grow according to this principle, this universal form permeates the animal and vegetable world. The stability of the cone (pyramid) is explained by the fact that the force of gravity in such figures occupies a central axial position. It is known that in the development of building proportions in Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and other countries, a prominent role was played by the desire to bring the construction of buildings closer to the position of the natural slope of loose bodies (sand, gravel, etc.), which have the greatest stability. In these countries, there were special formulas for calculating the volume of a truncated pyramid and for the area of \u200b\u200ba trapezoid e. It is not known whether the builders of dolmens knew how to solve such problems, but they knew what proportionality was, they tried to make their buildings stable and durable.

In the West Caucasian dolmens, the bevel angle is small (from 75 to 88°, on average - 84° with a deviation from this value of ± 3-4°) 7, but even such a deviation from right angle had a significant effect on the stability of the building. The concept of proportionality is quite applicable to the dolmens of the Caucasus, which in the history of architecture equally refers to the aesthetic, constructive and functional qualities of the structure.

The symmetry and proportionality of dolmen structures suggests that their builders could use the module - a measure of the proportionality of parts of the building. Such a module, in my opinion, could be a segment taken for the height of the hole made in the front plate (the width of the hole is obviously arbitrary). The fact that the height (or diameters) of the opening of dolmens could serve as a module is evidenced by studies of some monuments of antiquity and the Middle Ages in the East, where the size of the openings served as an architectural measure of the part. In ancient Egypt, the size of a building stone or brick served as a module.

The height of the hole in the dolmens, taken as a measure - the module, varies, being, probably, a chronological feature, but, being a module, fits into the height of the front plate quite clearly 3-5 times. The difference in the size of dolmen manholes noted above indicates the lack of a clear system in units of measurement for the builders of megaliths, who could use natural measures in the measurement process - span, cubit, step, etc. Naturally, such units of measure are very difficult to standardize. Thus, among the Circassians and Akhazes, relatively recently, “hand”, “foot”, “elbow” and the like served as linear units. The value of the "elbow", for example, varied from 40 to 50 cm, and the measurement was carried out from the angle between the large and index fingers and to the elbow or from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow.

Rice. 1. Sat. Solokh-aul (Mount Autl), dolmen No. I: 1 - plan (d - fallen western portal plate); 2 - facade; 3 - longitudinal section.

famous architect 15th century Leon-Battista Alberti wrote that “the whole architecture consists of six elements. They are: terrain, lot, articulation, wall, roof, and openings. Of these six elements required for the construction of a building, we have not considered only the area and the site. Researchers of dolmens noted their location in glades, along watersheds, and so that “if a dolmen stands on a mountain slope, then its front wall faces the valley; if on top of a mountain, then towards the most beautiful side. Dolmen fields occupy areas with a relatively flat relief, single dolmens are rarely found, pressed against a slope, built in an obviously inconvenient place (a dolmen on Mount Khunaget in the Ashe river basin), only trough-shaped dolmens occupy those areas where there are rock outcrops. A comparison of the map of the distribution of dolmens with the spread of rocks shows that their builders sought to use areas with natural outcrops of stone suitable for processing for their buildings.

Rice. 2. Portal dolmen from Adignalov (Tuapse region): 1 - weeping of the dolmen (thickened lily shows the overlap); 2 - facade 3 - section of the dolmen (a - "visor" of the ceiling of the chamber)

2 Construction machinery

After looking pretty a large number of monuments, we can say that dense sandy limestones without inclusions of large fossils were used for dolmen constructions (basin of the Kizinka River, Bogatyrskaya Polyana near Novosvobodnaya station, location in Abkhazia), sandstones (most dolmen groups), silicified and metamorphic rocks (Krasnaya Polyana region ). Trough-shaped dolmens were carved in rocks and blocks of sandstones (Ashe river basin, Solokh-aul, Volkonka, Pshada, etc.). Builders rarely used different types of stone in one building, with the exception of calcareous tufa, whose slabs were sometimes used for ceilings (Deguakskaya glade near the Dakhovskaya station, the Pshada and Kizinka river basins). All of these rocks are good building material.

Among the hills in the river basin. Kizinka is known alone under the name Maslyayeva Gora. Heaps of broken limestone were found on it, forming rows. There are no exits here and heaps of stones lie on snow-white cryptocrystalline gypsum, which forms all the uplifts along the left bank of the river. Kizinka. Limestone slabs were clearly brought here from the right side of the river, where there are limestone outcrops. From here, building stone was brought to Maslyaeva Gora for further processing.

It is known that freshly mined limestone is softer than "aged in the air", here it loses moisture and becomes stronger. "Testing" a stone by long exposure in an open place contributes to its durability. Dolmeny buildings that have passed the test of time, with their sometimes excellent preservation, are the best evidence that their builders knew the properties of stone well and prepared it in advance. If the ancient masters did nothing to improve the quality building material, in this case limestone, then the fortress coefficient would undoubtedly decrease; so, for limestones, it is approximately equal to 8-4 conventional units (with the highest coefficient of 20 units) g2.

The fluctuation of the strength of different rocks can also be expressed as a tensile strength (under compression in kg/cm2). For dense limestones, it ranges from 150 to 1000 units (the highest limit for quartzite is 4000). It is clear that the ancient architects chose high-quality stone, without flaws (cracks, large nodules), uniform structure, took it out in advance and kept it. It was easier with dense sandstones, since they contain little clay, are less saturated with water and are less destroyed. For all their fragility, they have a higher tensile strength (300-3000 units), their surface over time, in the process of natural exposure to the atmosphere and sunlight, is covered with a hard weathering crust. That is why dolmens, assembled from sandstone slabs and carved into the rocks of this rock, amaze with their excellent preservation.

The prepared slabs, still in their raw, unprocessed form, were transported by ancient masons to the places of future construction, where they lay for some time. The transportation of stone could be carried out on bulls with the help of wooden drags (primitive sledges), which are well recorded ethnographically (among the Abkhazians - “adjans”) and are used everywhere in the Caucasus for lifting weights along steep slopes.

Already in place, the stone was subjected to final finishing. In the river basin In Kizinka, blanks of four slabs for a dolmen were found. The excavations carried out here made it possible to find fragments of building stone and a piece of sandstone with traces of grinding. Here, obviously, only the primary processing of limestone slabs took place. On the same dolmen field, the dolmen ceiling split into two parts along the notches made by its builders. Wedges of wood were driven into the prepared notches, and then they were wetted with water, which caused the wood to swell and cracks appeared in the stone. The close location of the notches ensured that the stone would be split along the intended line. This method of breaking stone, even granite, is well documented in the construction technique of ancient Egypt.

Irregularities on the slabs were most likely removed by sawing. As saws, it was possible to use plates of hard rocks of stone, and in the process of sawing, wet sand (river or sea) was added. Even cuts without special polishing are noticeable on heel stones, especially in those cases when they, combined, form a floor in a dolmen chamber (Aderbievka, Pshada, etc.).

Near the dolmens there are crude tools, somewhat reminiscent of discs and side-scrapers. They are made of river pebbles and fragments of rocks (andesite, quartzite, etc.).

Dolmen slabs, profiles of trough-shaped structures are striking in their correctness. Perhaps the builders, when marking and during work, used, like the ancient Egyptians, a very simple device - a cord stretched between two sticks. They applied it to the processed slabs, which made it possible to see all the irregularities of the stone.

Near every dolmen, during excavations, you can find pieces of abrasive rocks and special grinders of various shapes. These items were not grave goods, they were used in construction and then abandoned.

Among the abrasives for the most part rocks containing very hard coarse-grained ferruginous sandstones, quartzites and polymineral rocks such as granite were used, porous clay-sandy rocks are less common, which, despite their relative softness, are good grinding agents.

For rough, initial processing, obviously, there were shapeless pieces of abrasives, in which, as they were erased, the edges broke off again. But a finer finish of slabs, grooves, portal parts and even chambers near trough-shaped and monolithic dolmens was carried out with grinding stones of a convenient, completely justified shape. Among all this numerous material, plates with traces of work stand out.

For grinding large surfaces, large stones of hard rocks were used - granite, granite-gneiss, quartz conglomerate. They usually have a round-oval shape. They were held with two hands. Obviously, grinding was completed with round-shaped grinders, which bear traces not only from the edges, but sometimes their planes are erased and polished from work. rare specimens among them they have depressions in the middle part, it was more convenient to hold such stones with fingers. The grooves were polished with particular care. Some dolmens can be found at the junction of the grooves and at the end of their rounding. Here the master's hand rested, and he guided the grinding stone into an adjacent groove or made a movement in reverse side.

On many dolmens, one can see dotted, dotted depressions of a fairly regular round shape with a diameter of up to 0.5 cm. Usually they are applied to the surfaces of such slabs and blocks that needed to be bonded especially firmly. For this purpose, a tool such as a core or a peg was used, or perhaps with a wider working part covered with teeth (modern "stamps" and "bouchard").

The walls of the chambers of some trough-shaped structures have preserved traces of their processing with a tool such as a chisel or adze with a slightly rounded working part.

It is difficult to say how the holes were made in the dolmens. Perhaps, with the help of dotted blows, they marked the center of the hole, punched it and further expanded it, or maybe, like the ancient Egyptians, using a flint drill ("crescent"), they drilled the core of the future manhole. In the work on the holes, abrasives played an important role.

It can be thought that the builders of dolmens used many different tools made of wood (mallets, wedges, etc.), they knew the plumb line. Probably, many of the tools used in the construction of dolmens resembled those that belonged to the ancient Egyptian masons who built the pyramids. But this is still only a guess.

Significant difficulties were presented by the assembly of dolmens, the laying of the ceiling. The ancient builders did not always succeed. So, the cover plate of the dolmen in Guzeripl was never put in place. To facilitate this work, the dolmens are mostly leaned back against the slopes, they were attached to the rampart-like natural hills. The early monuments are surrounded by a mound-like stone riprap, on which logs were laid, and over them, probably, the ceiling was pulled on ropes. Later (mass) monuments acquire a greater trapezoid shape, their side walls are strongly sloping towards the back, which facilitated the work of lifting the slab. During such hard work, undoubtedly, they used levers (wags) made of logs, ropes, and perhaps the draft power of bulls.

The process of laying side walls is difficult to imagine without the use of internal log spacers. Without them, the plates would collapse. One detail is interesting. Almost always, the individual grooves of the side plates have gentle bevels. This was done with the aim that when the front or rear plate r of one of the sides is already attached, it would be easier to get them into the grooves of the second side plate.

Scientists have calculated that in order to build a sufficiently large dolmen, 150 people had to work tirelessly from a year to two years. However, the initial data for such a calculation are unknown, and it can be considered very approximate.

During the construction of dolmens, the ancient inhabitants arranged temporary camps. Traces of such sites were found on Mount Autl near the villages. Solokh-aul and near a large location of dolmens on the Bogatyrskaya glade (station Novosvobodnaya). Their cultural layers are insignificant, but they are saturated with ceramics, bones of domestic animals, individual lost things (an insert, a clay bead, etc.). They didn't live here very long. Deguaksko-Dakhovskoye settlement with a thick cultural layer (up to 1.15 m), also located near the dolmen field, indicates that necropolises were sometimes located near settlements. Obviously, in the first case, when the construction went far from permanent housing, only craftsmen (perhaps their families) took part in the work. Naturally, architecture could not be the lot of every inhabitant.

In conclusion, it is necessary to note those construction details that are related to chronology: the absence of heel stones under all the slabs of the chamber (this caused difficulties in assembling the chamber), the weak trapezoid shape of the side slabs (they almost do not have a bevel towards the back), which made it difficult to build a ceiling. These technical shortcomings are typical for tiled portal dolmens and buildings with a square-rectangular chamber plan. These features make it possible to consider them early monuments.

The transition to the construction of dolmens from trapezoidal slabs gave greater stability to the buildings, facilitated the assembly of walls and the laying of ceilings. The creation of composite dolmens made the work of builders even easier, although it damaged the monumentality of the building. Perhaps that is why the portals of some composite dolmens are outwardly given the traditional form of slab constructions.

Trough-shaped dolmens and monoliths, for all the laboriousness of their manufacture, eliminated the need to use forests, deliver stone to the construction site, etc. They are a simplified version of structures among the West Caucasian dolmens.

We can say that this is the evolution in building technology, although these considerations cannot be a categorical judgment. Undoubtedly, buildings of different types and categories could be created at some stage simultaneously.

3 Dolmens and ritual

In order to reconstruct at least some of the rituals practiced by the carriers of the dolmen culture, it is necessary to analyze several issues. Among them, the most important can be recognized: the location of dolmens on the ground (why exactly, and not otherwise, they are set); ritual features in the arrangement of the dolmens themselves and their ornamentation; the establishment of a funeral rite practiced in dolmens. Each of these questions can be answered for the most part only hypothetically, although many researchers have paid some attention to them.

Dolmens, as already mentioned, occupy comfortable and fairly flat areas among forests (in "glades"), along watershed hills, on the flat tops of low mountains. They stand along the river basins, not far from those paths and roads that connected the coast with the mountainous regions. Many of these routes are still used by shepherds for cattle passing and hunters. The accumulation of monuments in a certain area allows us to talk about special places reserved for necropolises, and if you pay attention to the types of buildings, you can see that the same dolmen fields often contain structures of various types (obviously belonging to different times). As can be seen, despite changes in architecture and construction techniques, the bearers of the dolmen culture did not lose their sense of kinship and continuity with previous generations.

The orientation of dolmens has long attracted the attention of researchers. The study of the totality of objects allows us to draw a conclusion about an important ritual feature in their construction: to turn the portal parts of the dolmens to the light, to the sunny, brightly lit sides.

The shape of the dolmens probably also met ritual requirements. True, dolmen structures reveal their ritual features with difficulty. It is much easier to detect an architectural concept in them - the opposition of load-bearing and resting parts. Only the desire to make structures durable can explain the trapezoid shape of their plan.

In structurally early, portal dolmens, inlets have a rectangular shape. Obviously, they could be similar to the entrance openings of residential buildings. Some dolmens served for single burials (the villages of Novosvobodnaya, Saratovskaya, individual burials in the Kizinka river basin), i.e., these structures, after the funeral was completed, could be immured for centuries, as was undoubtedly the case in dolmens without holes. Obviously, the ideas underlying the ancient ritual have changed, evolved. Holes in typologically early dolmens became a necessity, and over time they changed both in shape and size. In two portal dolmens of the river basin. Fragments of vessels and one leaf-shaped bronze knife each were found near the hole on the left side of the hole (if you look inside). Most likely, these were food offerings, and knives were attached to it. This gives some right to believe that the holes served for the ritual feeding of the dead. In Western Europe they are called "holes for the exit of the soul" (they are often found in the dolmens of the Oise river basin in France), which is supported by ethnographic parallels. A natural conclusion arises that the dolmen opening could serve more than one purpose, that their functions were diverse.

Many modern scientists quite rightly associate the Caucasian dolmens with the pyramids of the Egyptians. Probably, the foundations of the Egyptian funeral ritual are to some extent close to those cult ideas on which the construction of dolmens rested. The cult ideas of the Egyptians were the idea that the pharaoh (leader) is considered the magical center of the productive forces of nature. He is thus responsible for good harvest crops, for the abundant offspring of livestock, for the fertility of the women of the tribe. And the deceased pharaoh, in the presence of a reigning heir, continued to provide prosperity to the living, including the "happy reign" of the new pharaoh. It can be assumed that the early dolmens contained the burial places of tribal leaders, whose remains were supposed to favor the living population in a similar magical way. Echoes of such beliefs are known in the religious ideas of many peoples. In the structural details of dolmens, one can find their specific embodiment.

.Dolmens of the Western Caucasus and dolmens of the world - questions of connections and origin

An attempt to explain the emergence of dolmens in each part of the world independently, in the case of the Caucasus, does not find any grounds. Jacques de Morgan writes about the autochthonous origin of dolmen structures: “... you don’t need to be influenced by distant centers at all in order to erect large stones and cover them with a roof.” The prerequisites for such a statement were rather late tombs in Talyn (Azerbaijan), which he mistook for dolmens, and the well-known theory that the dolmen construction could have arisen “from a grotto that served as a tomb, an artificially reproduced form of which was the dolmen.” This “cave theory” had many supporters among Western European scientists (Gabriel de Mortillet, K. Schuchhardt, Christian Tservos, etc.). Our compatriots who were engaged in Caucasian archeology (D.N. Anuchin, M.M. Ivashchenko) were also inclined to it. However, if the provision on the transition from burials in rocks to a certain extent, it is true for some islands of the Mediterranean Sea (Corsica, Sardinia, etc.), where buildings are known that are semi-grottoes - semi-dolmens, it is especially The features of the monuments of the Western Caucasus point to a different path of development.

The famous archaeologist B.A. Kuftin also intensively searched for ways to clarify this issue of interest. He believed that it could be resolved only on the basis of taking into account the real engines of the historical process and their correlation with the geography of natural forces to the extent that the latter are mastered by human economic activity. Using the concept of "cultural production groups", B.A. Kuftin believed that for dolmens such a "group" could exist in the Mediterranean, on the Deccan Peninsula and in the Southern Caspian. L.N. Solovyov, highlighting the "southern dolmen culture", assumed that the carriers of this culture did not come to the construction of dolmens on their own, but using "ready-made forms", widespread in "Asia Minor", especially in Syria and Palestine. This construction, in his opinion, arose early “under the influence of ties with the Asia Minor cultural world carried out by sea.” L.N. was reflected in the expansion of the construction of dolmens in this part of the Caucasus. "Further, at the turn of the III-II millennium, according to L.N. Solovyov, from Asia Minor there is an invasion of Kashki - tribes," in all likelihood related to the South Dolmen "population, while Kashki (According to L.N. Solovyov, they are the bearers of the “Proto-Colchian culture”) brought new types of dishes and skills in metallurgy to the local environment.

megalithic cromlech dolmen architecture

Conclusion

In this paper, we have reviewed the megalithic structures of the Ancient World and identified their main features. The dolmens of the Western Caucasus were described in sufficient detail, their architectural characteristics, proposed construction methods, and scientists' assumptions about their possible purpose were given.

I would like to note that in the dolmens, as in many other monuments of ancient art and architecture, in the most concrete, aesthetically and technically deeply considered form, the cult views of our ancestors are embodied. Their aesthetic impact, as genuine works of art, is still preserved.

List of used literature

1. Maklakova T.G. History of architecture and building technology. Part 1. Architecture of the pre-industrial era: Textbook. - M.: DIA Publishing House, 2011. - 408 p.

2. Kulikov A.S. History of architecture, urban planning and design. Part 1: General history of architecture: Proc. allowance. Tambov: Tambov Publishing House. state tech. un-ta, 2003. - 106 p.

Formozov A.A. monuments primitive art on the territory of the USSR. 2nd edition. - M.: Nauka, 1980. - 135 p.

Markovin V.I. Dolmens of the Western Caucasus. - M.: Nauka, 1978. - 328 p.

Tags: Megalithic structures of the Ancient World. Dolmens of the Western Caucasus Abstract Construction

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