It is crucial that people take a stance on the immanent need to protect the ancient dolmen found throughout Jordan. There is no reason to allow the unnecessary destruction of ancient megalithic structures due to the ignorance and lack of respect for ancient heritage. Once they are disturbed their purpose and value could be lost forever. It is appalling to witness the lack of appreciation over the past century once recognizing they have been standing undisturbed upon the land for nearly 6,000 years, through earthquakes, floods, and fires.
What is a dolmen? It is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. 'Dol-men' originates from two Breton words meaning 'Stone - table', also known as a portal tomb, Most date from the early Neolithic period (4000 to 3000 BC), but could be older. Thousands of dolmens have been found around the ancient world - in the America's, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Their purpose is still not fully understood, but it is often assumed that dolmens were constructed for a funerary purpose. However, due to the infrequency of human remains found within them, it is not sufficient evidence to prove this they were used solely for this purpose. Perhaps they contain high energy vibrations embedded within the inner walls of the stone for healing purposes by the ancients. In Russia, where they are not only protected, but highly respected, they have become a popular spot for pilgrimages by those seeking to heal their bodies by rebalancing their auric energy field.
Over the past years, many near my home, needlessly destroyed by those ignorant of what they are and of their historic value for the people of Jordan and the world. When I noticed their destruction, I met with the village mayor to ask for his intervention to protect them. He promised me that he would have someone patrol the area and also to speak with the land owner and to those living nearby. However, months later when I returned there was new road cut directly through the field…at least a dozen of dolmens were smashed and pushed to the side. Because of this experience I no longer trust that they are safe, out of at least fifty there are less than a dozen remaining intact. There is simply no rationalization for this.
Because many dolmens are scattered about randomly throughout the valleys of Jordan, many are still officially unknown. We the undersigned feel it is crucial to protect them to the extent of implementing severe penalties upon those who destroy them. In addition, we request that adequate signage be displayed wherever they are, displaying the fines and penalties that will imposed by non compliance. It would also be beneficial to include a brief description about what they are in order to educate the population about them, and would be beneficial to add lessons into the curriculum of the educational system.
