Editing Beehive tomb (section)

{{Short description|Burial structure}}
{{Other uses|Tholos (disambiguation)}}

[[Image:Schatzhaus des Atreus, Querschnitt.jpg|right|thumb|Cross section of [[Treasury of Atreus]], a beehive tomb at [[Mycenae]]]]
[[Image:Treasure of Atreus.jpg|right|thumb|[[Glossary of architecture#D|D]]romos entrance to the Treasury of Atreus]]
[[Image:Lion-tholos-tomb-at-Mycenae.jpg|thumb|The Lion Tholos Tomb at [[Mycenae]]. Of note are the ashlar stomion (of conglomerate) and dromos while the chamber itself remains made of smaller stones, placing the tomb in Wace's second group]]
A '''beehive tomb''', also known as a '''tholos tomb'''  (plural '''tholoi'''; from {{Langx|el|θολωτός τάφος|italic=unset|translit=tholotós táphos}}, {{Lang|el|θολωτοί τάφοι|italic=unset}} ''tholotoi táphoi'', "domed tomb(s)"), is a burial structure characterized by its [[false dome]] created by [[corbelling]], the superposition of successively smaller rings of mudbricks or, more often, stones. The resulting structure resembles a [[beehive]], hence the traditional English name.

Tholoi were used for burial in several cultures in the [[Mediterranean basin|Mediterranean]] and [[West Asia]], but in some cases they were used for different purposes such as homes (Cyprus), rituals (Bulgaria, Syria), and even fortification (Spain, Sardinia). Although [[Max Mallowan]] used the same name for the circular houses belonging to the [[Neolithic]] culture of [[Tell Halaf]] ([[Iraq]], [[Syria]] and [[Turkey]]), there is no relationship between them.