al ith s , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁doubt ful ▁that ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁meg al ith ic ▁trad itions ▁( see ▁below ) ▁are ▁derived ▁from ▁them . ▁ ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁meg al ith s ▁ ▁Dol m ens ▁and ▁standing ▁stones ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁large ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁starting ▁at ▁the ▁Turkish ▁border ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁close ▁to ▁Ale ppo , ▁south wards ▁down ▁to ▁Y emen . ▁They ▁can ▁be ▁encountered ▁in ▁Leb anon , ▁Sy ria , ▁Iran , ▁Israel , ▁Jordan , ▁and ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia . ▁The ▁largest ▁concentration ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁southern ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁Jordan ▁R ift ▁Valley ; ▁these ▁are ▁threatened ▁with ▁destruction . ▁They ▁date ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁Chal col ith ic ▁or ▁Early ▁Bron ze ▁Age . ▁ ▁Meg al ith s ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁found ▁on ▁Kh arg ▁Island ▁and ▁P ira zm ian ▁in ▁Iran , ▁at ▁B arda ▁Bal ka ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁ ▁A ▁sem ic irc ular ▁arrangement ▁of ▁meg al ith s ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁Israel ▁at ▁Atl it ▁Yam , ▁a ▁site ▁that ▁is ▁now ▁under ▁the ▁sea . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁example , ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁mill en ni um ▁BC . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁concentr ated ▁occurrence ▁of ▁dol m ens ▁in ▁particular ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Jordan ▁R ift ▁Valley , ▁with ▁greater ▁pre domin ance ▁on ▁the ▁eastern