. ▁The ▁tradition ▁of ▁v ener ating ▁standing ▁stones ▁continued ▁in ▁N ab ate an ▁times ▁and ▁is ▁reflected ▁in , ▁e . g ., ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁rit uals ▁surrounding ▁the ▁Ka aba ▁and ▁nearby ▁pill ars . ▁Rel ated ▁phen omena , ▁such ▁as ▁cu ph oles , ▁rock - cut ▁tomb s ▁and ▁circles , ▁also ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁European ▁meg al ith s ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁type ▁of ▁meg al ith ic ▁construction ▁in ▁Europe ▁is ▁the ▁portal ▁tomb ▁— ▁a ▁chamber ▁consisting ▁of ▁u pr ight ▁stones ▁( orth ost ats ) ▁with ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁large ▁flat ▁cap st ones ▁forming ▁a ▁roof . ▁Many ▁of ▁these , ▁though ▁by ▁no ▁means ▁all , ▁contain ▁human ▁remains , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁deb atable ▁whether ▁use ▁as ▁bur ial ▁sites ▁was ▁their ▁primary ▁function . ▁The ▁meg al ith ic ▁structures ▁in ▁the ▁north west ▁of ▁France ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁in ▁Europe ▁based ▁on ▁radi oc ar bon ▁d ating . ▁Though ▁generally ▁known ▁as ▁" d ol m ens ," ▁the ▁term ▁most ▁accepted ▁by ▁arch ae olog ists ▁is ▁" portal ▁tomb ." ▁However ▁many ▁local ▁names ▁exist , ▁such ▁as ▁an ta ▁in ▁Gal icia ▁and ▁Portugal , ▁st azz one ▁in ▁S ardin ia , ▁hun eb ed ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁H ün eng rab ▁in ▁Germany , ▁d ys se ▁in ▁Den mark , ▁and ▁c rom le ch ▁in ▁Wales . ▁It ▁is