Manners and Monuments of Prehistoric PeoplesNadaillac, Jean-François-Albert du Pouget, marquis de
History
Manners and Monuments of Prehistoric Peoples
Nadaillac, Jean-François-Albert du Pouget, marquis de
Archaeology; Prehistoric peoples
In Algeria, we also meet with quadrangular pyramids called _djedas_,
which measure as much as ninety feet on each face, but do not rise more
than three feet above the ground. The (lead were buried beneath them in
a crouching position. We know nothing either of the origin of these
djedas or of the date to which they belong.
The monuments of Tunisia were probably as numerous as those of Algeria.
We may note especially the vast area in Enfida, completely covered with
dolmens, one hundred of which are still standing, and in excellent
preservation, whilst the ruins of others strew the soil, bringing up
their original number to at least three thousand. Those described by M.
Girard de Rialle23 are yet more interesting. Near the village of Ellez,
on the road from Kef to Kerouan, are some fifteen covered avenues
distributed without apparent order, and rising from the midst of Roman
ruins. The upright stones vary from about ten to thirteen feet, and are
surmounted by huge slabs. The chief dolmen has within it as many as ten
chambers.
There are also numerous tumuli in Syria. We have already alluded to
that of Sarepta; and there are others near Antioch and in the plain of
Beka, between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Major Conder, who as captain
conducted the interesting campaign organized by the Palestine
Exploration Society in 1881 and 1882, speaks of the exploration of the
rude stone monuments as one of the most interesting features of the
surveys, and says: “The distribution of the centres where these
monuments occur in Syria, is a matter of no little importance … no
dolmens, menhirs, or ancient circles have been discovered in Judæa, and
only one doubtful circle in Samaria. In Lower Galilee a single dolmen
has been found; in Upper Galilee four of moderate dimensions are known.
West of Tiberias is a circle, and between Tyre and Sidon an enclosure
of menhirs. At Tell el Kady, one of the Jordan sources, a centre of
basalt dolmens exists, and at Kefr Wal … there is another large centre.
At Amman several fine dolmens and large menhirs are known to exist … it
is doubtful, however, if all these examples added together would equal
the great fields of rude stone monuments to be found in Moab, for it is
calculated that seven hundred examples were found by the surveyors in
1881.24 There is one group of dolmens at Ali Safat, in Palestine, in
which the supports of the table are pierced with an opening. This is a
very interesting fact, to which I have already alluded, and to which I
shall have to refer again. Another group of some twenty dolmens was
discovered by M. de Saulcy on the plateau of El Azemieh, one of which
rises in the centre of a belt of roughly sculptured upright stones; and
yet a third group is to be seen near Mount Nebo, which Major Conder
thus describes: “Here a well-defined dolmen was found northwest of the
flat, ruined cairn, which harks the summit of the ride. The cap-stone
was very thick, and its top is some five feet from the ground. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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