Menhir
Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A menhir is a single tall stone set upright in the ground. It usually marks a memorial and often stands over or near a burial. Menhirs belong to the megalithic tradition, meaning monuments made of big stones, mostly linked with burials. In India they are found in Karnataka, Telangana and the north-east. They matter because they show how early people remembered and honoured their dead.
Example
In Meghalaya, the Khasi people still raise tall upright memorial stones today. This shows that the menhir tradition has lasted into the present.
Don't confuse with
- Dolmen: a table-like megalith, with a flat capstone resting on upright stones. A menhir is just one standing stone.