Scientific article
OA Policy
English

From Stones to Structures: Typology, Building Techniques and Chaînes Opératoires of Late Prehistoric Megalithic Tombs in Menjez (Northern Lebanon)

Published inOpen Archaeology, vol. 12, no. 1, 20250098
Publication date2026-06-14
First online date2026-06-14
Abstract

The megalithic funerary monuments of Menjez (Akkar, northern Lebanon), dated to the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, display a remarkable architectural diversity that reflects a localized process of innovation within the Levant. Conducted as part of the Swiss-Polish MEG-A project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Narodowe Centrum Nauki – titled “First megalith builders in the Northern Levant” (2022–2026) (202350–2020/39/I/HS3/02993), this study focuses on 42 tombs documented across the area. It combines a detailed morpho-typological analysis with the examination of technical principles and the restitution of building practices through the reconstruction of chaînes opératoires and architectural phasing. By identifying architectural patterns and reconstructing the sequence of building steps, this research aims to characterize the Levantine megalithic building techniques applied by the communities of Menjez. Special attention is given to the articulation between technical choices, construction processes, and transformations these monuments underwent over time. The results contribute to a better understanding of megalithic building traditions in the Levant and offer new perspectives on the technical knowledge, organizational strategies, and cultural logics that shaped funerary architecture from the fifth to the third millennia BCE.

Keywords
  • Megalithic architecture
  • Building archaeology
  • Typology
  • Chaînes opératoires
  • Levant
Citation (ISO format)
DEFOURS RIVOIRA, Meryl, COUSSEAU, Florian, STEIMER, Tara. From Stones to Structures: Typology, Building Techniques and Chaînes Opératoires of Late Prehistoric Megalithic Tombs in Menjez (Northern Lebanon). In: Open Archaeology, 2026, vol. 12, n° 1, p. 20250098. doi: 10.1515/opar-2025-0098
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Secondary files (1)
Appendix
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
Journal ISSN2300-6560
3views
12downloads

Technical informations

Creation05/10/2026 14:26:10
First validation07/10/2026 11:52:47
Update07/10/2026 11:52:47
Status update07/10/2026 11:52:47
Last indexation07/10/2026 11:52:48
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack