Latest Fieldnotes

Whilst en route to a possible stone row from a possible ring cairn, I came across a few more possibles. This hillside is chock full of possibilities .
These monuments are, as far as I can tell not on Coflein, unless they got a little lost themselves, which is quite possible if the weather was average.
Possible 1. A large circular spread of stones seemingly in concentric rings of three, the inner ring looks like a hut circle.
Possible 2. A pair of circular stoney spreads. One has a clean interior like a hut circle or ring cairn, the other is stones all over like a round cairn.
They are right next to each other, on the edge of a possible settlement (there are low walls).

I cant fathom why Coflein says nothing about them, they are large and obvious.

Lots of things had to come together for me to be here, money, time and weather foremost among them, but the unsung hero of the day was research. without it I wouldn’t have known there was anything down here at all. I left the car in the car park by the Llyn next to the dam, walked back up the road to the house Tyddyn-Mawr, then, left at the house, and then tried to find a footpath that goes north from the road, I couldn’t find it, it has gone. So I made one up, and entered the hill side.
My immediate destination is a found on Coflein ring cairn.....A possible disturbed ring cairn with a central cist. The overall form is uncertain but about 2.5m to 3m in diameter.....was all the information they had, besides being in an old settlement, which has prehistoric hut circles, quite an enticement., to me anyway. En route to the settlement site I came upon a  lone hut circle, took a picture, got home and Coflein says nothing about it at all. There is a vast amount of activity up on this hill side, not all of it recorded by officialdom. From the bronze age through the Iron age through the Roman era, through the medieval to just last century. Almost every age is represented up here.
Wales in a nutshell this place.

So there I am standing on the edge of a settlement site, I can see the walls, and the view is tremendous, but as yet no hut circle and certainly no ring cairn. There are various stones lying about the whole area but I pass them by until I come across the very obvious hut circle, less obvious is the two smaller huts right next to it, one of which is full, covered by long annoying grass. Also next to the huts are three or four neat piles of stones, I couldn’t work them out at all. It took me some time to find the ring cairn, it doesn’t look like your average ring cairn, I looked at it once, pointed it out to myself and said, that’s something, then walked away.
I sat in the hut circle and thought for a while, I pondered and then I ruminated, and then I finished off with a smidgen of contemplation. There was no ring cairn, at least not like the vast majority of ring cairns. I decided that the “something” that I had seen would probably be it, there are four stones in the middle that could be a cist, and it has a handful of surrounding stones that are doing their best to be a ring, but failing, though not miserably.

This is but the first site of the day and I have a long walk ahead of me, so off we go, we’ll, I do.

The chamber is 5.4 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. You can see 9 support stones and 3 capstones, one of which is broken. An enclosure can not be seen.

A tree or shrub is currently growing right out of the tomb, preventing better views, hopefully it will be removed soon before it causes more damage.

Visited July 2018

In the northeast-southwest-oriented tomb Steinloger Kellersteine 1 (the western tomb) all 13 support stones (six on the northwest, five on the southeast side and two endstones) are present, but some are no longer in their original position. Two of the five capstones are missing, the chamber is 7.5 x 1.5 meters. On a cracked capstone a drill hole can be seen.

Visited July 2018

West of Wildeshausen, south of the A1 autobahn there are three groups of 2 megalithic tombs each with the name affix “Kellersteine”, the Ahlhorner Kellersteine, the Steinloger Kellersteine and the Holzhauser Kellersteine described here.

West of Wildeshausen, south of the A1 autobahn there are three groups of 2 megalithic tombs each with the name affix “Kellersteine”, the Ahlhorner Kellersteine, the Holzhauser Kellersteine and the Steinloger Kellersteine described here.

The easiest approach to get to the Steinloger Kellersteine is to drive from Varnhorn north on the “Varnhorner Weg” and park (N52° 53’ 08.5” E8° 18’ 48.7”) where the side street “Vor der Aue” crosses the street from the right, just before the underpass of the A1 autobahn. From here a overgrown forest track leads in a straight line southwest. Follow this track, cross a clearing, stay on this track and you should reach the sites after a little less than 600m.

In a book by Mamoun Fansa Großsteingräber zwischen Weser und Ems (ISBN 978-3-89995-626-9, 2009), the tombs are listed as Grossenkneter Kellersteine and the image must be several decades old, because today the tombs are no longer in the open field, but are from tall trees enclosed.

Visited July 2018

The megalithic tomb Schmeersteine lies north of Varnhorn, pretty much in the middle between the tombs Thölstedt in the northeast and Mühlensteine, Varnhorn in the southwest. I combined my visit with the tomb Mühlensteine, Varnhorn, so I parked at N52 52 19.5 E8 19 20.5 and used the farm track which leads northeast. From the start of the farm track it is a 850m walk, before a signposted beaten track leads left off to the tomb, which lies about 120m in the wood.

The tomb is about 8 x 1,8m, of the three surviving capstones, two are broken.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

“Schmeersteine”
Neolithic megalithic tomb
Dimensions: about 8 x 1.8 m

The original layout of the megalithic tomb is still relatively well recognizable, although some boulders are not preserved in their original position. The strange name “Schmeersteine” is based on the traditional misbelief that fat and butter (in Low German: “Schmeer”) were sacrificed here some time ago.

Testimony of sedentary life
Megalithic tombs like “Schmeersteine” are considered the oldest surviving structures of northern Central Europe. Until the fourth millennium BC only hunters and gatherers lived in the Wildeshauser Geest. Only the “funnel beaker culture” (about 3500 – 2700 BC) settled down permanently.

They bred cattle, planted grain and lived in post constructions. Presumably, they believed in an otherworldly life and therefore built their deceased sometimes monumental graves of boulders. Those megalithic graves or megalithic tombs (Greek: mega = large, lithos = stone) were erected not for individuals, but for groups and used over many generations.

The megalithic tomb Mühlensteine lies north of Varnhorn. To get to the site park at N52 52 19.5 E8 19 20.5 and use the farm track which leads northeast. Turn right after about 150m into a smaller track, after another 150m a small beaten path leads uphill. Make sure you leave the small quarry on your right hand you should reach the tomb in about 120m.

The Mühlensteine (mill stones) have their name from the surrounding Mühlenhöhe (mill height). At the southern end, the 6.4 x 2.2 m chamber is still fairly well preserved. It consists of 8 support and 4 capstones, two of them slipped into the chamber. At the western end are two large fragments that belong to the same capstone, as well as the remains of another capstone. The chamber is oriented in northwest-southeast direction.

During my visit, some smaller stones were stacked on some of the tombstones. And though I do not like this rite, especially at an ancient archaeological site, I did not remove the stones.

Visited July 2018

After the Visbeker Bräutigam 3, the Visbeker Braut is the second largest Hunebed in Germany. The rectangular enclosure is northeast/southwest oriented, about 80m long and 7m wide and contains at the southwestern end a rather small burial chamber of 5.5 x 1.5m. The mound that originally filled the site has largely disappeared. Four huge up to 2.50 meters high boulders form the southwest small side of the Hunebed. It is not entirely clear whether they are original stones of the enclosure or relocated capstones of the burial chamber.

To get to the site, drive the B312 from Wildeshausen to Ahlhorn. Immediately west of the autobahn exit “Wildehausen-West” lies the guest-house “Visbeker Braut”. Directly opposite is a small road under the autobahn. Turn right at the first junction and continue for about 180m to a small car park directly at the site. Or walk from the Ahlhorner Kellersteine for about 4km on the so called Brides walk as the bride procession did 5000 year ago before the were petrified ;-).

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

“Visbek Bride”
Neolithic megalithic tomb

The “Visbek Bride” is considered the second largest Hunebed in the Wildeshauser Geest. It is in a relatively good state of preservation. On the other hand, the magnificent south-western narrow side, which is made up of almost 3m high boulders, is probably not the original situation. Probably at this point in the 19th century, the original capstones of the chamber were erected. The curious name “bride” presumably results from the pre-Christian custom to celebrate central events such as weddings on megalithic tombs.

The legend of “Bride and Bridegroom”
Since the 18th century at the latest, people have told each other that the “Visbek Bride” and her 4km “Visbek Bridegroom” were in fact a petrified wedding party. According to the legend, she had to turn to stone, because the bride believed that she can only escape in this way the marriage established by the father with the unloved bridegroom.

Testimony of sedentary life
Megalithic tombs like the “Visbek Bride” are considered the oldest surviving structures of northern Central Europe. Until the fourth millennium BC only hunters and gatherers lived in the Wildeshauser Geest. Only the “funnel beaker culture” (about 3500 – 2700 BC) settled down permanently.

They bred cattle, planted grain and lived in post constructions. Presumably, they believed in an otherworldly life and therefore built their deceased sometimes monumental graves of boulders. Those megalithic graves or megalithic tombs (Greek: mega = large, lithos = stone) were erected not for individuals, but for groups and used over many generations.

Holzhauser Kellersteine 1 is not an easy to find site, as there are no signposts. Drive the B213 from Wildeshausen westwards for about 3km, then turn south towards Holzhausen. After about 620m the road turns southeast and after 140m there is a small forest on the left side. Park where the small forest ends (300m after the road turns southeast), the tomb is located about 100m across the now appearing field, maybe you can recognize the green memorial sign in a tree (see images).

The tomb is now heavily overgrown, details are therefore difficult to spot and photograph. Visible is the long, east-west oriented approximately 10 x 2 large burial chamber. Still preserved are 13 supporting stones and 5 of the original 7 capstones, which have partially slipped into the chamber.

Visited July 2018

The next day dawned and despite it being overcast it was fairly dry. (that, of course, would change) I had always wanted to see the American monument at west point of the Oa peninsula so we walked from Cragabus to the site.

This is near to were the troopship Turcania was torpedoed and another troopship, the Otranto, sank. (1918)

On the way back I had a look for the standing stone at Glac A’Charraigh. Sadly the stone has fallen since its last visitor in 1977. Originally it stood at almost 2m high but now one of the chokes stands guard, a marker, as this would almost be impossible to find.

From west of the site as the road heads north I jumped the fence and headed north east until I luckily spotted the choke stone. To get back to the road head north bypassing the wee hill.

A bleak place on a bleak day. By now the rain had arrived. A drenching was on its way!

Visited 30/7/2018.

The final stop of a glorious day traipsing around Cragabus and Port Ellen concluded at the promontory fort Sron Dubh.

Follow the road south from Druim Nam Madagan until it ends at the A846 and head slightly east towards Port Ellen. A track, a mixture of bog, remnants of bonfires, dry bits and sea shells heads south leading to the fort. By this time night was coming down, a hint of mist, the sea was eerily calm and there was total silence. This is a beautiful place, situated between The Ard (a fort I visited) and Portintruan (another fort to be visited next time). Fine views of Texa, the island to the south east.

With a natural harbour near to the fort and some steep cliffs on the south this seems quite a good place for a fort. However the north isn’t very high and is protected by wall which originally was 3m wide. This seems quite common for the south forts.

Where there wasn’t a wall nature provided rocks and in the gaps man made defences can be seen. The forts interior is made up of small sections like rooms, similarly were nature didn’t fill the space, man did. One space not filled was the entrance and tghis can be found in the north west.

A great first day back in Islay and a contented dram or two coming up.

Visited 29/7/2018.

28/10/2018 – I’ve not been here before, stupid me as the cairn is huge and pretty fantastic. Same starting point as Drew. Little bit tricky finding it. Don’t bother trying to follow the track on the OS map, it gets messy. Better really, once you’re in the wood, just to head up, you get there in the end. From the photos on here the cairn looked big but it’s even bigger than I thought it would be. Really good and the location is lovely in open woodland. Well worth a visit.

Kleinenknetener Steine 3 was located originally at the Wellohsberg, southeast of Dötlingen. When Sprockhoff examined it in 1929, it was still at its original location, but in the 1930s it had to give way to an airfield and was put up again at the Kleinenknetener Steine.

The tomb had been without capstones before the relocation. The chamber is 6 x 1 m and consists of 10 support stones.

Revisited July 2018

Kleinenknetener Steine 2 is the only known megalithic tomb in Lower Saxony with three burial chambers. Since the middle is slightly smaller than the two outer, one suspects that first the two outer grave chambers were built as separate graves, which by building another chamber in between grow together as a large hunebed. The Hunebed is oriented in northeast-southwest direction and has a length of 34 meters and is 8 meters wide.

Although the megalithic tomb looks well preserved today, numerous capstones have drilled holes.

Revisited July 2018

After the excavation work in 1936/37 Kleinenknetener Steine 1, has been restored, as it may have looked 5,000 years ago. The approximately north-south oriented passage grave has a complete enclosure (the Hunebed) and consists of 85 boulders and a covering mound, which includes 1,200 m³ of earth. It was calculated that this task could be done with 100 men at ten working hours per day in 3.5 months.

The Hunebed is 49 meters long and 7 meters wide. Almost all the stones have been preserved. In the middle, the chamber is in the same orientation as the Hunebed. The burial chamber is framed by eleven stones carrying one original and two complementary capstones.

Revisited July 2018

This is a must see site for everyone interested in Megaliths, for me Kleinenknetener Steine 1 and Kleinenknetener Steine 2 rank within the Top 3 of Megalithics sites in Germany. Kleinenknetener Steine 3 was relocated to here in the 1930 years and is not so impressive, compared to the other two sides.

The sites are located in a nice little wood between Wildeshausen and Kleinenkenten, on a minor road in the direction to Pestrup east of the road Bauerschaft Düngstrup. As the sites are part of the Straße der Megalithkultur (Route of Megalithic Culture) the site is signposted and there is a small car park beside the road. You only have to walk 150m from here to these stunning 5000 years old remains.

Revisited July 2018

Thesweatcheat and I passed very close by a few years ago en route up Cnicht, so I’ve been waiting for the chance to return and have a poke around for three years. After mooching around the southern slopes of Moel Hebog I only had a limited amount of time left and these hut circles are closer and easier to get to. So here we are, or were.
Parking was had in Croesor, at an actual car park, mostly used by walkers who are going up mountains, but it serves equally well for those going hut circles.
From the car take the road north west up the hill, stop when you reach the long farm track/driveway going left to Cae-glas, go down it and straight past the farm house. Follow the wooden posts marking the footpath, after the house the path goes through a gate in a wall, then, following wooden posts, through another gate, this time in a fence, then over a wall with stile. Immediately after the stile go down hill towards the sound of the river. A low wall must be got over, just over the wall is the first hut circle, I note it with much glee, then walk away further down hill, where I see the biggest and most impressive of the four hut circles here.
On the lowest terrace, just by the river are three hut circles, one is really quite large and immediately obvious. Made of head sized stones now covered in moss, as is everything down here, with a south east facing entrance, facing the river, or something else.
The second lower hut circle is quite recognisable, but at the same time indistinct, because the moss covers everything, everything. The third circle is the most ruined, nay practically gone, I have supplied a photo of where I think it is.

Then it’s back up the hill to the lone upper hut circle. The entrance has grown somewhat to the extent that a third of the circle is very ruined, but the rest is quite good, the two trees would give some welcome shade in summer, but at the end of the day, through the camera, they seem to suck the light out of the scene making photography a little tricky. But to the naked eye, a more magical place would be hard to find, the river making one of the best sounds in the world, moss and ferns still hanging on to that summer feeling. The golden glow of a typical North Walean sunset rose slowly up through the trees, I thought I’d got there only just in time, but as I wandered about in a fairy tale I decided I’d got there perfectly on time.

Unfortunately, there is only a very good copy of the sun stone in Beckstedt since 1955, since the sun stone is now in the Bremen Focke Museum.

The stone is about 90 cm high and 40 cm deep and consists of red granite. On it are eleven concentric circles and a central cup-shaped notch whose meaning is still unknown. Similar circular motifs can be found on stones in Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia. The original stone was found in the early 20th century when demolishing a farmhouse in the foundation.

Visited July 2018

taken from the “Faszination Archäologie” information board:

Sonnenstein
Red granite about 90 x 40 cm

In 1921 there was a sensational discovery in Beckstedt: the discovery of one of the rare, presumably attributable to the Bronze Age “sun stones”. The special feature of the flat Beckstedter foundling consists of eleven concentrically arranged, enigmatic circles that enclose a notch in the center. So far, neither an exact dating, nor a scientifically sound interpretation of the original function of the “sun stone” could succeed.

For some time now the hypothesis exists that the incorporated motif is a sun depiction, which is why the foundling is also called the “sun stone”. Nevertheless, all previous interpretations – such as those discussed in the context of Bronze Age cult acts or pre-Christian burial customs – lack any scientific basis.

The Beckstedter “Sonnenstein is now in the Bremen Focke Museum. On site you see a copy.

Strictly speaking, the Pestrup Burial Ground is not a megalithic site, but the largest bronze and iron age necropolis in northern Central Europe. The burial ground is part of the street of megalithic culture and is located about 2.5 km south-southeast of the Wildeshauser center and about 1 km west of the Hunte. The area is a natural and historical protected heath area of the Wildeshauser Geest Nature Park of about 35 ha (about 86 acres) with more than 530 larger and smaller Bronze and Iron Age burial mounds.

Visited July 2018

This inconspicuous beauty is not easy to find. To reach this exemplary grave, drive from Dötlingen to Ostrittrum. About halfway up, turn left into a forest road, where the megalithic tomb is signposted. Park the car after about 600m nearly at the end of the forest and walk along a small path first east (160m), then northwards (60m) to the tomb.

A visit is highly recommended, as you can see very well here, how the small burial chamber was covered with a much larger mound. It is a well-preserved chamber oriented in a northwest-southeast direction. Two capstones are still lying on the support stones. The access was on the southwestern long side.

Visited July 2018

taken from the information board:

Megalithic tomb

Tomb of the Neolithic funnel beaker culture (about 3400 – 2800 BC). Preserved is the western part of the burial chamber (18.5 x 2.5m) originally under a mound with cap stones, supporting stones, an entrance on the south side, paving and dry stone walling between the boulders.

Excavations 1956/1958 yielded a rich find material as gifts for the dead. The megalithic tombs were funeral homes for several generations of a settlement community. The tomb stands as a monument under legal protection.

Visited July 2018