▁Alg ern on ▁Herbert ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁Stone hen ge ▁and ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁An cient ▁Greek . ▁Most ▁ext ant ▁meg al ith s ▁were ▁ere cted ▁between ▁the ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁period ▁( although ▁earlier ▁Mes ol ith ic ▁examples ▁are ▁known ) ▁through ▁the ▁Chal col ith ic ▁period ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Age . ▁ ▁Types ▁and ▁definitions ▁While ▁" m eg al ith " ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁a ▁single ▁piece ▁of ▁stone , ▁it ▁also ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁denote ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁rocks ▁he wn ▁in ▁definite ▁shapes ▁for ▁special ▁purposes . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁structures ▁built ▁by ▁people ▁from ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁living ▁in ▁many ▁different ▁periods . ▁The ▁most ▁widely ▁known ▁meg al ith s ▁are ▁not ▁tomb s . ▁ ▁Single ▁stones ▁ ▁Men h ir ▁- ▁the ▁name ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe ▁for ▁a ▁single ▁u pr ight ▁stone ▁ere cted ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁times . ▁Sometimes ▁called ▁a ▁" standing ▁stone ". ▁Mon ol ith ▁- ▁any ▁single ▁standing ▁stone ▁ere cted ▁in ▁pre histor ic ▁times . ▁Sometimes ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁" m eg al ith " ▁and ▁" men h ir "; ▁for ▁later ▁periods , ▁the ▁word ▁mon ol ith ▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁single ▁stones . ▁Cap stone ▁style ▁- ▁single ▁meg al ith s ▁placed ▁hor izont ally , ▁often ▁over ▁bur ial ▁ch amb ers , ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁support ▁stones