Mundersum

The megalithic tomb Mundersum is located somewhat away from the well-known megalithic tombs of the Emsland region. Even the Route of Megalithic Culture ignores this megalithic tomb in favour of the famous Thuine – In der Kunkenvenne and Langen – Auf dem Radberg tombs. As a result, the tomb is not signposted, difficult to find without a GPS device and probably rarely visited. At least there is an information board on site.

Mundersum consists of a long chamber that is still hidden deep in the ground. The chamber is 18 metres long and between 1.3 and 2.2 metres wide. According to German Wikipedia, ten capstones and 17 supporting stones, which are deeply embedded in the ground, are still preserved. Originally, the chamber probably had an oval enclosure, but nothing of this can be seen today.

Most of the stones are overgrown with moss and the spaces between them are filled with soil, making it difficult to make out the structure. Nevertheless, the tomb has a unique atmosphere and is well worth a visit.

The megalithic tomb is located west of Mundersum, a district of Lingen (Ems), in the so-called Mundersumer Sand in the forest. From Estringen, drive east on Estringer Straße towards Hüvede. Shortly before Hüvede, turn onto Rottumer Straße and continue until the road curves to the left. You can park here and continue straight ahead along the path between the forest and a field for approx. 660 m. You will come to a fork in the road; take the path to the right past a barrier. Follow this path for about 120 metres until a footpath leads to the left to the megalithic tomb. At the time of my visit, there was an improvised signpost to the tomb, as shown in the photo.

Visited September 2025

taken from the on-site information board:

Megalithic Tomb Mundersum

It is located about 2 km west of the village of Mundersum in a field called ‘Mundersumer Sand’.
The megalithic tombs were built in northern Germany between 3000 and 2000 BC by people of the so-called Funnel Beaker Culture during the Neolithic period (approx. 5000 – 2000 BC). They used boulders as building material, which had been transported from Scandinavia by glaciers during the penultimate ice age (Saale glaciation) around 200,000 years ago.
Caps stones were placed on top of vertically positioned supporting stones. The burial chambers constructed in this way were carefully sealed and then covered with earth (Figure 1). An adjustable entrance allows access. The megalithic tombs probably served as clan ossuaries, in which – in the large Emsland chambers – hundreds of dead found their final resting place.
Typical grave goods include pottery with ‘deep-cut decoration’, flint stone axes, scrapers, arrowheads and decorative beads made of amber, jet (a type of polishable coal) and, in some cases, copper (Figure 2). All of these items were important for a comfortable existence in the afterlife.
The people of the Neolithic Age were the first farmers. They ploughed with the hook plough (Figure 3), cultivated wheat and barley varieties as well as flax, and kept domestic animals. Little is known about how they lived together. In historic times, many megalithic tombs were robbed of their stones and destroyed. The Mundersum megalithic tomb is the only one that has been preserved in the municipality of Lingen.
It is a long stone chamber oriented from east-northeast to west-southwest. The former entrance was on the south side. The clear width of the chamber is approximately 18 m x 1.35 – 2.2 m.
The megalithic tomb is a cultural monument and must not be damaged.
Pictures:
1. Megalithic tomb according to Sprockhoff
2. Grave goods (drawing and photos)
3. Hook plough