dolmen [Breton,=stone table], burial chamber consisting of two or more upright stone slabs supporting a capstone or table, typical of the Neolithic period in Europe. See megalithic monuments.

Prehistoric monument usually consisting of several large stone slabs set edgewise in the earth to support a flat stone roof, all covered by a mound of earth that in most cases has weathered away. Designed as a burial chamber, the structure is typical of the Neolithic Period in Europe. Dolmens, though found as far east as Japan, are mainly confined to western Europe and northern Africa. Seealso megalith; menhir.

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