The aim of this meeting on the megaliths of the world is to review the current state of knowledge, drawing, for the first time, on the expertise of active archaeological researchers who are resident in each of the continents concerned. The past 20 years have witnessed the beginnings of research on megalithic monuments in geographical regions that had previously been ignored; in other regions, by contrast, the pattern of research has been completely transformed; but the current state of knowledge remains very uneven from one region to another. There are differences in academic traditions, and in the kinds of sites that are being studied, and each belongs within a distinct archaeological, historical, cultural and geographical context. Although the term “megalith” itself has wide popular recognition, what researchers and the public understand by “megalith” differs widely from place to place.

At a global scale, we already know that megalithic monuments were constructed at different periods, in regions often very dispersed, and frequently by peoples who had no contact with one other. Before considering the evidence from the different periods and regions, however, the notion of “megalith” will first be explored, by speakers drawn from each continent. The intention is hence to discern exactly what everyone means by the concept. This underlines a key objective of the meeting, which is to establish a dialogue between researchers who have not necessarily had the opportunity to meet previously, and who are confronted in their own regions by diverse and varied megalithic traditions. It is hoped also to draw attention to different, or novel, methods of research, in order to encourage and enrich future enquiry in this field.