Algunder menhirs
The Algund menhirs are four figure menhirs that were recovered in Algund in South Tyrol between 1932 and 1942 . Menhir I and II were excavated in 1932, menhir III and IV were discovered in the same area about ten years later.
Temporal classification and cultural background
The Algund menhirs have their own characteristics, but they can be classified in the large group of southern French menhirs, whose cult form reached South Tyrol via northern Italy. At first, the chronological classification of the menhirs was controversial until it was finally agreed to accept Raffaeolo Battaglia's proposal and assign them to the Stone Copper Age.
Find
All four figure menhirs were found by the local historian Matthias Ladurner-Parthanes in the area of the Plarser alluvial cone on the Adige . They are made of Lasa marble . Due to the former retaining walls of a field, which could be secured together with the menhirs in the floodplain of the Adige, it is assumed that the location of the menhirs was higher on the slope and that they slipped down over time. During the excavations of Stone III and IV, it was clear that they were oriented in a west-east direction at their former location, so that their fronts faced the sunrise. Any attempt to connect the menhirs to a tomb failed. Neither bones nor grave goods could be found near the site, which is why it is assumed that the four menhirs are cult figures.
Shapes, engravings and motifs
Stone II is a so-called female menhir, which is characterized by two forms in the form of a breast. The round stone is covered by parallel transverse grooves that extend over three sides. In contrast, stones I, III, and IV are called male menhirs and have a plate-like shape. All three stones are divided by a belt in the middle and have vertical grooves on the back, which could represent hanging hair or cloaks. A main feature of the male stones are the weapons depicted on them, with stone I having a particularly large number of weapon motifs. Those motifs suggest a warlike people.
- Algunder menhirs
Replica Menhir I (male), found in 1932 with Menhir II; Height 2.75 m.
Replica of menhir II (female), found in 1932 with menhir I; Height 0.54 m.
Replica menhir III (male), found in 1942 with menhir IV; Height 1.08 m.
Menhir III, the original in the Palais Mamming Museum
Replica menhir IV (male), found in 1942 with menhir III; Height 1.39 m.
Menhir IV, the original in the Palais Mamming Museum
Whereabouts
The four Algund figure menhirs can now be found in two different museums. While menhirs I and II are in the South Tyrolean Archeology Museum in Bolzano , menhirs III and IV are exhibited in the Palais Mamming Museum , the city museum of Merano . Replicas of the Algund menhirs stand in front of the tourist office in Algund.
literature
- Matthias Ladurner-Parthanes: The Algunder Menhirs . In: Der Schlern , 26, 1952
- Maria Kiem: 1000 years of Algund . Athesiadruck, 2005, p. 40 ff
Web links
- Menhirs - evidence of a highly developed culture , algund-info.net
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 46 ° 40 ′ 55.9 ″ N , 11 ° 6 ′ 40.3 ″ E