The Megaliths of Vera Island in the Southern Urals

Megaliths of the Vera Island in the Southern Urals presents the results of the study of the largest megalithic complex in the Urals, located on Vera Island. The complex is represented by three chambered megaliths and sanctuaries dated to the Eneolithic period (mid-4th - 3rd millennium BC).  The  book discusses the features of the architecture and building technologies, their astronomical orientation, chronology, religious context, and explores their relation to social organisation and the possible migration of peoples. Small finds  – especially the ceramic assemblages – are presented. The authors discuss problems associated with the origin of megaliths, the approaches of European researchers and the possibilities of applying these approaches to the Ural megaliths. Against the background of the lack of agriculture – in contrast to Europe – there was no demographic basis in the Urals for the emergence and existence of the megalithic phenomenon.

In addition to the megalithic complex, there are many unexplored objects on the island, the purpose of which remain, as yet, unclear. Ancient settlements of the same period have also been discovered on the island. The complex on Vera Island is unique precisely due to the combination of objects with so many different functions found within a relatively small area (6 ha).