Acromlech (sometimes also spelled "cromleh" or "cromlêh"; cf Welshcrom, "bent";llech, "slate") is amegalithic construction made of large stone blocks. The word applies to two different megalithic forms in English,[1][2] the first being analtar tomb (frequently called a "dolmen"), asWilliam Borlase first denoted in 1769.[3] A good example is atCarn Llechart [cy].[4] The second meaning of the name "cromlech" in English refers to largestone circles such as those found among theCarnac stones inBrittany, France.[2][1]
Unlike in English, the word "cromlech" in many other languages (such as Azerbaijani,Armenian,French,Greek,Indonesian,Italian,Romanian, andSpanish) exclusively denotes amegalithic stone circle, whereas the word "dolmen" is used to refer to the type of megalithic altar tomb sometimes indicated by the English "cromlech". Also, more recently in English, scholars such asAubrey Burl use "cromlech" as a synonym for "megalithic stone circle".[5]
