Editing Dolmen (section)

==Western Europe==
The oldest dolmens found in [[Western Europe]] are roughly 7,000 years old. Although archaeological evidence is unclear regarding their creators, the structures are often associated with tombs or burial chambers. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artefacts, have been found in proximity of dolmen sites. While the remains can by analyzed with [[radiocarbon dating]], it is difficult to confirm whether said remains coincide with the date the stones were originally set in place.<ref>Lewis, S. (2009) ''Guide to the Menhirs and other Megaliths of Central Brittany'', Nezert Books, {{ISBN|978-9522705952}}</ref>

Early in the 20th century, before the advent of scientific dating, [[Harold Peake]] proposed that the dolmens of western Europe were evidence of [[cultural diffusion]] from the eastern Mediterranean. This "prospector theory" surmised that Aegean-origin prospectors had moved westward in search of metal ores, starting before 2200 BCE, and had carried with them the concept of megalithic architecture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peake |first1=Harold |title=68. The Origin of the Dolmen |journal=Man |date=1916 |volume=16 |pages=116–121 |doi=10.2307/2788934 |jstor=2788934 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2788934 |access-date=28 July 2024 |issn=0025-1496}}</ref>