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Towards a Chronology of megaliths: understanding monumental time and cultural memory

  • Cornelius J. Holtorf (a1)

Abstract

I argue in this paper that monuments such as megaliths can be understood in terms of ‘prospective’ and ‘retrospective memories’. They were originally built as permanent and widely visible mnemonics in order to transmit a particular message to the future, but that message is now lost. Megaliths were then, and stayed for much of their later history, ‘sites of memory’. In later ages, people considered such ancient monuments as part of their ‘cultural memory’ and interpreted them within the framework of the ‘history culture’ of their given social context. Since such re-interpretations are often equally significant and also contain hopes for the future (prospective memories), they can be termed ‘subsequent origins’ of monuments. One example for a ‘subsequent origin’ is the way megaliths are studied and treated according to the academic values of present-day archaeologists. In the paper I discuss several case-studies of megaliths’ ‘life-histories’ in different European regions. I conclude with the wish that a true chronology of monuments may be developed that reaches beyond chronographical tables and includes theories about monumental time: the pasts and futures of monuments, in each present.

Ich argumentiere in diesem Aufsatz, daß Monumente wie z. B. Megalithbauten mit Hilfe der Begriffe ‘vorausblickende’ und ‘zurückblickende Erinnerung’ verstanden werden können. Ursprünglich wurden sie als permanente und weithin sichtbare Gedächtnisstützen gebaut, die eine bestimmte Botschaft in die Zukunft leiten sollten. Doch die ursprüngliche Botschaft ist mit der Zeit verloren gegangen. Megalithbauten waren als ‘Gedächtnisorte’ gedacht, und sind es in ihrer späteren Geschichte fast immer geblieben. Die Menschen späterer Zeiten betrachteten derartige alte Monumente als Teil ihres ‘kulturellen Gedächtnisses’ und interpretierten sie im Rahmen der ‘Geschichtskultur’ ihres jeweiligen sozialen Kontextes. Da solche Neuinterpretationen oft ähnlich bedeutsam sind und ebenfalls Hoffnungen für die Zukunft (vorausblickende Erinnerungen) enthalten, können sie als ‘spätere Ursprünge’ von Monumenten bezeichnet werden. Ein Beispiel für einen salchen ‘späteren Ursprung’ stellt die Art und Weise dar, in der Megalithbauten gemäß den akademischen Werten heutiger Archäologen untersucht und behandelt werden. In diesem Beitrag stelle ich mehrere ‘Lebensgeschichten’ von Megalithbauten in unterschiedlichen europäischen Regionen als Fallstudien vor. Ich schließe mit dem Wunsch, daß eine wahrhaftige Chronologie von Monumenten entwickelt werden möge, die über chronographische Tabellen hinausgeht und Theorien über Monumentzeit miteinschließt: die Vergangenheiten und Zukünfte von Monumenten, in allen Gegenwarten.

Dans cet article je défends l'idée que les monuments tels que les mégalithes peuvent être considérés comme ‘mémoire prospectives’ et ‘rétrospectives’. A l'origine, ces monuments ont été construits comme mnémotechniques permanentes et constamment visibles afin de transmettre un message précis dans le futur, mais ce message est maintenant perdu. Les mégalithes étaient alors et sont demeurés pour une grande partie de leur histoire un ‘lieu de mémoire’. Plus tard, le peuple a considéré ces monuments comme un élément de sa ‘mémoire culturelle’ et les a interprété suivant la ‘culture historique’ spécifique à son contexte social. Etant donné que ces réinterprétations sont souvent d'égale importance et portent un message d'espoir pour le futur (mémoires prospectives), elles peuvent être envisagées comme ‘origines ultérieures’ des monuments. Un exemple d“origine ultérieure’ est la façon dont les mégalithes sont étudiées et considérés selon les valeurs académiques des archéologues contemporains. Dans cet article j'examine plusiers études de cas sur l“histoire de la vie’ des mégalithes dans différentes regions d'Europe. Je conclue en faisant le souhait qu'une véritable chronologie des monuments soit développée, qui aille au delá de tableaux chronographiques et inclue des théories sur l'époque des monuments: le passé et le futur des monuments, au moment présent.

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COPYRIGHT: © European Association of Archaeologists 

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Towards a Chronology of megaliths: understanding monumental time and cultural memory

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