Monumentality

Abstract

‘Monument’ today carries a double meaning, evoking size and durability on the one hand, and commemoration or memorial on the other. Monuments are highly diverse in their form, character, and age. They include prehistoric standing stones and earthen enclosures, massive obelisks and pyramids, and memorials to the dead of recent centuries, including to those killed by conflict or natural disaster. This article explores the significance of monuments in ritual and religion from the perspective of prehistoric and early historic societies, illustrated by examples from North and South America, Africa, and Europe.

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