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Bjerreby Jættestue, also known as Dyssekamre at Bjergby or Skebjerg, is a well-visited ancient monument located on Langeland, about halfway between Simmerbølle and Tullebølle. The site is a long dolmen from the Neolithic Age, more specifically from the Funnel Beaker culture around 3500-2800 BC, which corresponds to the Neolithic period about 5100-5500 years ago.

The dolmen is a large burial mound measuring about 20 meters in length and 10-15 meters in width and is oriented east-west. The mound contains two burial chambers, each with its own passage.
The northeastern chamber has two cover stones, one of which is slightly offset. On this offset cover stone there are at least 12 small round depressions, called bowl pits, which are believed to have been added in the Bronze Age and probably had a magical or religious meaning. The chamber consists of 11 bearing stones (two of which are partially overturned) and a 1.8-meter-long passage to the southeast.

The southwestern chamber has a single capstone, which has fallen into the chamber and is partially lying on the ground. It is somewhat special that an oak tree has grown up in the middle of this chamber, which otherwise consists of eight bearing stones and a 2-meter-long passage to the southeast with two bearing stones on each side.

No archaeological excavations have been carried out of the dolmen itself. However, it is assumed that long dolmens such as Bjerreby Jættestue served as burial monuments for local families and heads of clans. The site is easily accessible with good parking nearby and is signposted from the road between Rudkøbing and Spodsbjerg. Although there are no preserved curbstones, Bjerreby Jættestue with its two chambers is an iconic example of Danish dolmens.

Contrary to custom, I did not visit the place on a sunny day, but rather on a rainy day in the fall of 2024.

It is hard to believe that this site was vandalised in 1963. There is no mention of the capstone being broken at that time, sadly it is broken now.

There is a car park at the end of the B9002, look for a wee grassy mound to the south, the cist is situated on top. Local greenkeepers (sheep) have ensured the grass has been kept short.

Flooring on the cist floor remains covering a space of 0.86m long, 0.48m wide and is 0.46m deep. The captone is slightly larger and is 7cm thick.

A beautiful location, good views of Jura.

Visited 09/04/2025.

Not much to add to the other excellent fieldnotes, I walked back from Beinn An Duin to the chamber cairn. The recent and not so recent storms have caused a lot of forestry damage which luckily/unluckily have improvied lines of vision. From Clach an t-Sagairt I could to see over to Ormaig, home to the famous rock art. I wondered if at some time the rock art and various nearby prehistoric sites might be connected.

After standing and looking for quite some time I headed back to where the car was parked to head south west and the end of the B8002.

Visited 09/04/2025.

The Hulbjerg Jættestue (Hulbjerg Passage Grave) is recognized as Langeland’s finest and best-preserved passage grave. It is situated on the southern end of the island of Langeland, near Bagenkop. This megalithic structure is an ancient monument with special cultural heritage, located within the UNESCO Global Geopark Det Sydfynske Øhav.

The Hulbjerg Passage Grave dates back 5,000 years, specifically to 3300–3200 BCE, placing it within the Neolithic Funnelbeaker culture. It served as a collective grave and ritual site.

The grave is set in a round barrow, approximately 20 to 21 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters high, framed by a ring of kerbstones and dry stone walling (tørmurstætninger).
The rectangular grave chamber measures 6.5 x 2 meters and is supported by 13 upright bearing stones. While the ceiling originally had five large rock slabs, only three remain, with the missing sections replaced by granite beams during restoration. The floor is paved with flat stones. A notable feature is the 5-meter long passageway that opens on the east side of the mound. Visitors must crawl to enter the grave due to the low passage. The passage has two doorframes, and a large flat stone at the entry may have functioned as a door.

The grave was excavated in 1960–1961 by Håkon Berg of the Langeland Museum.
The site has undergone restorations in subsequent years, including 1990, 2010, and 2023

The passage grave was used for over 1,000 years, with the oldest bones dating back 5,000 years and the youngest from the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 1700 BCE.
Over 2,000 human bones were discovered, corresponding to at least 36 adults and 17 children. The bones were found scattered and partially sorted, indicating that older remains were moved aside to make space for new burials. Analysis revealed that the men had an average height of 172 cm, and the women averaged 157 cm. Grave goods recovered from the passage and chamber included pottery (decorated ceramics), flint tools, weapons, arrowheads, and amber beads.

The Hulbjerg Jættestue is particularly famous for discoveries related to early surgical and dental procedures:

Trepanation.
One skull found has a trepanation hole in the left side of the forehead, indicating an operation where part of the cranial wall was removed.
This procedure was potentially related to treating combat wounds or possibly ritual practice. Crucially, the edges of the hole were healed, demonstrating that the individual, possibly referred to as the “Hulbjerg man,” survived the operation. Only about 10 to 13 trepanned skulls from the Neolithic period are known in Denmark.

Oldest Dental Drilling in Denmark.
A molar tooth belonging to a 35–50-year-old man shows a 4 mm wide and 6 mm deep hole, which was drilled using a flint point drill.
This intervention, considered the earliest known record of dental treatment and the only one known from antiquity in Denmark, was performed to relieve pain caused by severe caries and chronic inflammation/abscess. The presence of tartar on the bore hole shows that the patient survived for a period after the procedure.

The excavated objects, including the significant skulls, are on display at the Langeland Museum in Rudkøbing.

kulturarv.dk/fundogfortidsminder/Lokalitet/7932/

After reaching Ardfern on the B9002, I took the first minor road heading north west (near the shop) and followed it to a modern settlement. (I think). Parking there I looked south, the dun a short and fairly easy climb to the south.

Superb scenes at the top which is surrounded by much robbed, fallen walls, which in some parts are almost 4m wide. On the south east section there is a possible double wall. These walls enclose an area of 25m by 14m with the most likely entrance being on the south west.

Next a nearby chamber cairn.

Visited 09/04/2025.

The visit to Kintraw ended with a surprise inclusion – a large cairn.

The cairn is almost 20 metres wide with the builders of nearby walls and sheepfolds robbing most of the stones. Some kerbs must have been to heavy as they remain in place on the sites north side. In the north west section the site’s height must be over 1.5m.

Easy to miss but easy to find at the same time. Looking west I could see Ardfern along with its marina of various boats.

Visited 09/04/2025.

On my way over to Ardfern I stopped at the various sites at Kintraw, a spectacular site with spectacular scenery especially over to the various sites around Ardfern.

Not much to add except that I spied the large cairn situated reasonably close. However, another visit required as I missed a nearby dun and cairn hiding in the woods to the east.

Next a short walk to the neighbouring large cairn.

Visited 09/04/2025.

My second visit to Ormaig was a lot drier than my first in 2002, it lashed rain, thunder and lightning, flooding so the visit was very short. In 2025 it was much different, less trees and the paths were in decent order, also a lot of sunshine. Take the forestry commission tracks, as some older tracks, on the east side of Eas Mor are now regarded unsafe.

A & B also enjoyed the walk, and like myself amazed at the amount of rock art. On second thoughts, B being a dog might not have been amazed. One thing I noted was that I could see over Loch Craignish, sea loch, to Ardfern, home to several prehistoric momuments especially to a chamber cairn. I wondered if the sites were related in any way.

Visited 09/04/2025.

Dun Mor at Dunamuck should have been the first stop after the ruined chamber cairn and the rarely mentioned smaller cairn. Spying the dun from the cairns I headed up track intending to head clockwise from the dun via various fallen and standing stones to end up back at the chamber cairn. A track led to the dun at the Dunamuck farm gate, I thought this would be easy.

Instead I was met by an angry farmer who dished out dog’s abuse for no reason, claiming people did tremendous damage. He pointed back to near the chamber cairn shouting that there were signposts indicating directions to the stones and eventually the dun. I also gave him directions as well.

Back to the chamber cairn, no signpost indicating the way but I knew the various monuments positions and reached Dunamuck North, from there I headed south west towards the dun. The pleasant sun drying out my soaked and muddied legs after landing in a ditch.

It is an impressive location for the dun, good all round views, a lot of the south end Kilmartin monuments can be seen.

I climbed up from the east and entered the site on the north side. Remnants of a once massive wall have been reduced to a 4.5m wide turf covered mound. Some stones poke through giving an idea of the dun’s oval shape which is 19.5m north to south being almost 17m wide.

A tremendous day wandering about the various monuments. On the way back to the A816 I headed back to the chamber cairn without further incident.

Visited 08/04/2025.