Duby Tal/Albatross

A balancing act, with two vertical slabs roofed by a third slab, this dolmen in the Golan is typical of the many burial sites that dot the area. Dolmens in the Levant were covered by tumuli or cairns—mounds of earth or stones. When the covering stones were displaced, they fell to the ground creating a circle of stones surrounding the more stable dolmen in the center. Author Zohar disagrees with Moshe Kochavi that Rogem Hiri was initially “just a mammoth Early Bronze Age dolmen” built by an urban culture. Typical dolmen “circles” are far different from the concentric walls at Rogem Hiri. Zohar maintains that Rogem Hiri was a central meeting place for nomadic tribes, where they settled disputes, exchanged information and goods, arranged marriages and chose leaders, often with appropriate ceremonies.