Nucleus

The megalithic tombs at Goosefeld are four graves of the Neolithic Funnel Beaker Culture near Goosefeld in the district Rendsburg-Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein. They have the Sprockhoff numbers 75–78.

The tombs do not form a coherent group. Goosefeld 1 lies west of Goosefeld in a meadow. Goosefeld 2 lies east of the village and 980 m east-southeast of Goosefeld 1 in a field. Goosefeld 3 lies 1 km south-southwest of Goosefeld 2 and west of Lehmsiek. Goosefeld 4 is 760 m southeast of Goosefeld 2 and north of Lehmsiek.

Groß Wittensee is located 770 m south-west of Goosefeld 3.

Wow, this must be one of the most beautiful dolmens in northern Germany. Shortly after Lehmsiek towards Eckernförde this prototype of a dolmen is on the right hand side on a hill overlooking all of the surrounding scenery. You can’t place a dolmen nicer, the view in every direction is fantastic.

The tomb has an east-west-facing burial chamber, which is the rest of an extended or a large dolmen. There are still two support stones on the north and one on the south long side. A capstone 2.5 m long, 2.2 m wide and 1.1 m thick rests on them.

Goosefeld 4 lies in a field just beside the road from Lehmsiek to Eckernförde, when you come from Eckernförde it is on the left side just before you reach Lehmsiek. Parking is a bit tricky and be aware that the electric fence might be in operation, at least it was during my visit.

This is a must see site in the area around Eckernförde, highly recommended!

P.S.: The image stabilizer on my camera didn’t work properly on this tour, so some of my images are unfortunately out of focus. Sorry for that.

Visited June 2020

South of Goosefeld about 100 m from the road Profiter Weg between two fields lies Goosefeld 3, a long barrow with once 3 tombs, only one of which is still visible at the northwestern end.

The northwest-southeast orientated long barrow is about 41m long and 7m wide. On the long sides, several stones of the enclosure are still preserved. The dolmen or stone cist in the north west of the long barrow seems to be partly destroyed lately, as in older photos there is still a capstone visible.

Although the site is part of the Megalithic Routes in Schleswig-Holstein, I found it to be rather “neglected” or not very well “maintained”. The site was quite overgrown, so I would recommend a visit in winter or spring to see the structures much better. There are also signs that point to the site, but no longer in the immediate vicinity of the tomb, so that it is not so easy to find.

To find the site drive on the road Eckernförder Straße from Haby northwards to Eckernförde. Just behind Lehmsiek and just before Goosefeld 4 comes into view, turn left into the road Hexenberg. When you come to a T-crossing, turn left into the road Profiter Weg and park on the right after about 100m, where a field track starts in a western direction. Follow this track along the edge of a field for another 100m and you’ll find the site on the right.

P.S.: The image stabilizer on my camera didn’t work properly on this tour, so some of my images are unfortunately out of focus. Sorry for that.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site Megalithic Routes in Schleswig-Holstein information board:

A long barrow in Goosefeld

This impressive long barrow was restored in 1980, but the stone enclosure has not been completely preserved. The removed stones were often used as building material for building houses and roads. Some stones still show the signs of dismantling. In the 19th century in particular, many megalithic tombs were massively destroyed.

Archaeocosmetic treatment
This site is one of the earliest man-made monuments that have been preserved for thousands of years. They are the first architectural masterpieces and the oldest visible monuments above ground in Schleswig-Holstein. But not every stone stands exactly as it did in the Stone Age. Besides to the natural decay and violent interventions, many modern people had their own ideas about the appearance of the old graves and “improved” them. At the end of the 20th century, the worker at the time jokingly mentioned the carrying out of an “archaeocosmentic treatment” in the area around Goosefeld in the monument files belonging to this grave. What is meant is an intervention that is not absolutely necessary from a scientific and monument preservation point of view in order to superficially bring the system closer to its originally assumed state. In many places, it is not clear whether the interventions are based on scientific studies of the tomb to be restored. So some enclosure stone circles were created only for visual reasons and are therefore purely fictitious. This tomb is under a preservation order since 1967 which does not allow changes.

Goosefeld 1 is located west of Goosefeld at the farm Katzheide close to the B203 between Groß Wittensee and Eckernförde. It is one of a total of 15 stations of the Megalithic Routes in Schleswig-Holstein.

Remains of an almost east-west-oriented burial chamber are still preserved from this site. Eight stones are still available, but do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about type of the chamber.

P.S.: The image stabilizer on my camera didn’t work properly on this tour, so some of my images are unfortunately out of focus. Sorry for that.

P.S.S.: I replaced some of the images, which I shot during a stopover on my trip to Sylt in September 2020.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site information board:

COMMUNITY GOOSEFELD
- Passage Grave -

Megalithic tomb of the rural Funnel Beaker Culture (around 2500 BC) in a mound of earth delimited by a stone circle that is not preserved today. Seven support stones and the entrance stone are still visible from the passage grave, the capstone and the support stones in the northeast are missing.
Internal dimensions: length about 5.75m, width 1.50m.
On the partially disturbed pavement of the burial chamber were still grave goods from the Funnel Beaker Culture: amber (5) and an arrowhead (6). In a subsequent burial of the individual grave culture around 1800 BC there were two battle axes (1 and 2) and two cross axes or adze (3 and 4).

The site is a very well-preserved megalithic tomb from the funnel beaker culture. The central burial chamber is surrounded by a hill. The chamber in the middle of the hill was already exposed in the past by stone beaters who tried to get to the valuable boulders. However, only two of the capstones are missing from the site itself.

The burial chamber is one of the oldest described megalithic tomb in Dithmarschen. The first reports are already available from the 1960s. At this point the chamber was in a state of decay. Some of the supporting stones were tilted into the site. The last remaining capstone had fallen into the chamber and broken. This is how the system was described during the first scientific recording by Ernst Sprockhoff.

Sprockhoff described the site as a so-called Holstein Kammer (Kammer means chamber). Tombs of this type are characterized by at least three yokes made of supporting stones with a capstone.

The tomb was restored from 1983 to 1985 by the Working Group for Prehistory and Early History in a private initiative. The interior of the tomb was also fully excavated. In the course of the work, the former shape of the chamber and the former locations of the tilted stones could be determined exactly, so that the subsequent restoration was based on the findings of the excavation. Particularly noteworthy is the successful restoration of the original capstone, which was glued with modern aids and returned to its original place.

The tomb is located southwest of Weddingstedt on the municipal border to Ostrohe. It is located in a wooded area just a few meters west of the street that connects the two villages (coming from Weddingstedt, Ostroher Straße or coming from Ostrohe, Am Steenoben). Parking can be a bit tricky, I found a possibility at N54° 13’ 27.1” E9° 06’ 56.7” where a forest path blocked with a bar starts. From here you walk about 120 m on the footpath beside the road in the direction of Weddingstedt, before a small beaten track at a sign leads to the tomb in the forest. The tomb lies only 30m from here.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site HISTOUR-Ditmarschen information board:

Steenoben burial chamber

The first farmers in the country built between 3400 and 3000 BC burial chambers made of large blocks of boulders, which lay in elongated or, as here, in round burial mounds.
This chamber, called “Steenoben” (stone oven), was partially destroyed by stone beaters around 1800. Two capstones and the eastern capstone of the chamber were probably dismantled. The endstone was restored and supplemented with the burial chamber in 1984. Experts suspect that the stone closed the chamber rectangular. Due to a profound disturbance in the south of the chamber, it is no longer possible to decide whether a passage used to start here or whether there was a wall stone and the access was under the slipped western cap stone. As was customary at the time, the chamber had a floor made of annealed flint. The original dry stone wall between the boulders is indicated by reconstruction.

The post-excavation in 1984 produced some fragments of decorated vessels from the large stone burial culture and a flint ax from a later Stone Age subsequent burial. A settlement from the time of construction is known near Broklandsau, around one kilometer northeast of the stone chamber. At that time it was still on the outer edge of a bay.

The reconstructed megalithic tomb of Schalkholz is now in Heide, namely in the city park between the water tower and the central bus station. However, the tomb was originally located in Schalkholz, 10 kilometers away. The grave was excavated there in 1969.

In the course of the work, a burial chamber made of large boulders was uncovered. This consisted of nine supporting stones that formed an oval floor plan. The chamber enclosed an interior of approximately 3.5 x 2.2 meters. Of the capstones, only one erratic boulder was left over the last support stone in the northern section. In the south of the chamber an approximately 1 meter long and approximately 0.6 meter wide corridor was exposed, which ran obliquely to the chamber axis. Neither was there any more of the capstones in the corridor. A doorstep stone was documented between the grave and the chamber, on which remains of a possible sealing of the grave with clay and field stones were observed. On the floor inside the grave was a pavement of flat, hewn field stones covered with a layer of glowed flint. The spaces between the large boulders were closed with carefully executed dry masonry. From the outside, the burial chamber was surrounded by a mud coat up to the level of the capstone. A diameter of 14 meters and a height of 0.80 meters were found for the hill of the passage grave.

The passage grave, which was endangered at its original location, was relocated in 1970, shortly after the excavation, and was rebuilt in the Heide city park with the help of the Bundeswehr.

By relocating to a public park, the atmosphere suffers a little, on the other hand the grave is easily accessible. So if you are in the area, you should definitely plan a visit.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site HISTOUR-Ditmarschen information board:

Passage grave of Schalkholz

The first farmers in the so-called funnel beaker culture were the builders of the large stone tombs. Burial chambers with a side or, as here, angled passage are called passage graves. In addition to the preserved capstone, which had to be replaced by another stone during the reconstruction, the burial chamber of Schalkholz-Vierth moved here once had two further capstones and formed a chamber in a round burial mound.
The gaps between the stones were once dry masonry (now mortar). The grave is the southernmost of the type of “Nordic” passage graves with an oval plan, which is common in southern Scandinavia. Older and newer excavations have produced a series of clay pots from the funnel beaker culture.
In the rest of the burial mound, a whole bundle of flint blades from a later section of the Stone Age were found as hiding or sacrificial finds, which had been struck by a blacksmith from only a few pieces of Flint raw material and for the most part still fit together.
Passage tombs are tombs from an earlier period (3400 – 3000 BC) of the Stone Age. They have a chamber built from large stones as the center. Simple chambers with no more than one passage on the narrow side are called dolmens. They are the older tombs. The chambers of the younger passage graves have a rectangular or oval floor plan and a passage on one of the long sides of the chamber. The large stone tombs erected in Germany were planned for multiple burials (of human bones).

This passage grave was relocated 1961 from an area north of the town called Op de Hell (the hell), when the oil refinery in Hemmingstedt was expanded.

Now it lies prominently in the entrance of the cemetry of Hemmingstedt, south of the church.

According to the nearby information board, only the north-east row of supporting stones of the grave with the two final stones of the chamber is essentially preserved. The capstones and the supporting stones of the opposite wall had been blown up or removed in ancient times.

Visited June 2020

This cup-marked stone has been fixed in an upright position. It is located in front of the church in Hemmingstedt.

Unfortuantely I didn’t find any information where it was found.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site HISTOUR-Ditmarschen information board:

Cup-marked stone and stone tomb

Near the Hemmingstedter church, not far from the west gable, a large cup-marked stone has been set up in cement bedding. Originally it should have been lying in the ground with the cup marks facing up.

Cup-marked stones are to be seen as witnesses of prehistoric cult acts. The bowls will have been created during the extraction of rock powder, which was used for healing and magic purposes.

At the entrance to the new cemetery, the impressive remains of a ruined passage grave from the Stone Age, which was excavated in 1961 in the course of the southern expansion and the oil refinery, have been restored.
The north-east row of supporting stones of the grave with the two final stones of the chamber is essentially preserved. The capstones and the supporting stones of the opposite wall had been blown up or removed in ancient times. When the wall was restored, it was supplemented with stones that were too small.
In addition to a few remnants of original grave goods, including an amber piece, a cord-decorated mug and the blade of a flint ax were found as an addition to a subsequent burial of the late Peasant Stone Age.

The site originally was covered by a round mound, which is no longer preserved today. A ring of stones placed around the grave is, according to Ernst Sprockhoff, modern.

Only the burial chamber has been preserved, but it is in very good condition. It is a north-south oriented extended dolmen with a length of 2.5 m and a width of 1.7 m. The chamber consists of two pairs of wall stones on the long sides, a keystone on the southern narrow side, two stones on the northern narrow side and two capstones. The entrance to the chamber is on the north side. Originally there was a narrow stone in the eastern half that reached up to the capstone and a half-high, tapered stone in the western half. Sprockhoff found the chamber in this condition when he recorded it in 1934. The eastern stone was later removed and placed in front of the chamber, and the western stone was moved so that it now occupies the entire narrow side.

The tomb lies in close proximity to the B431. Coming from the A23 towards Bargenstedt, just before the eastern outskirts of Dellbrück, turn left into the road Eckschapp. The tomb is located about 40m after the junction in a small forest on the right.

Visited June 2020

taken from the on-site information board:

Community BARGENSTEDT
Megalithic tomb “Dellbrücker Kammer”

Tomb from the younger Stone Age (extended dolmen); built around 2700 BC.
The site, which is now completely free-standing, was previously covered by a heaped up hill. The chamber is structurally intact. The stone circle that surrounds the monument today is probably modern.
The builders of such graves belonged to the so-called funnel beaker culture. It was the first farming population in Schleswig-Holstein to practice agriculture and animal husbandry. They buried their deads in burial chambers made of mighty stones (large stone graves or megalithic graves).

The stone chamber of Warringholz is an extended dolmen originally with four supporting stones and four capstones.

Since the farmer wanted to have his field free, the rectangular stone chamber was moved and put up for viewing at the Galgenberg in Itzehoe. The arrangement of the stones is based on the original. The large stone tomb was originally on a widely recognizable, natural sand knoll about half a meter high and was visible from afar from the adjacent lowlands. The interior, enclosed by the large stones in a northwest-southeast orientation, was 3.50 m long and 1.20 m wide.

Only one of the four capstones has been preserved. This is a beautiful cup marked stone that is now angled at the end of the narrow edge. The access to the chamber was probably on the southwest side. On the outside, the chamber was surrounded by a stone circle.

The grave is located in a park directly to the west opposite the Brunnenstrasse cemetery of Itzehoe. Access from the Brunnenstrasse is advisable, as there are also enough parking spaces here. From here the grave is only 60m in the park. If you visit the tomb, also visit the large tumulus Galgenberg, sometimes also called Germanengrab, which lies directly behind the grave.

Visited June 2020

Siddernhausen is located between the villages of Dohnsen and Siddernhausen east of Bergen and was originally located 500 meters north of its present location. It was excavated in 1977 and rebuilt at the current location on the Rübenberg.

The excavation revealed that the originally 16-meter-long chamber consisted of 20 to 24 supporting stones and about eight capstones.

The tomb is easy to find as it is signposted in both villages. The easiest way to find the tomb is if you come from Beckedorf on the L281 directly at the eastern entrance to Dohnsen, first turn right and then left again in the direction of Siddernhausen. After about 230m the street almost makes a right-angled bend and after another 200m you reach a larger property on the left hand. On the right side you can park at the sign to the grave and reach the tomb after about 150 m walk along a field edge.

Visited June 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

At this place a megalithic tomb has been rebuilt, the remains of which were excavated in 1977 in the middle of a field on the “Steinberg” – 500 m north of the current location. Its destruction probably took place in the 17th or 18th century when the disturbing stones in the field were sunk into the ground. Furthermore, a significant part of the former building structure was lost through the removal of the stones.

The excavation findings showed that the burial chamber originally consisted of 20-40 supporting stones and about 8 capstones. It had a side access so that this grave can be described as a “passage grave”. The free spaces between the supporting and capstones were firmly closed with dry masonry. The entire facility was probably originally covered by a mound of earth (see reconstruction drawing).

Megalithic tombs were built around 4000 years ago (2400 to 1800 BC) in the early stone age. Their distribution extends along the coastal areas of Western Europe. According to current knowledge, they are graves of a sedentary farming population from the younger Stone Age. These sites probably served as a burial place for several generations. The dead were laid on the floor of the burial chamber and equipped with their traditional jewellery, clay pots and devices for everyday use for survival after death.

The northeast-southwest oriented rectangular burial chamber consists of ten wall stones, four supporting stones on the long sides and one endstone on the narrow sides. Three capstones rested on the four pairs of supporting stones, the middle one of which is considerably narrower and has been broken. The chamber measures 6.5 x 2 m. In the middle of the southeast side is the entrance from which the pair of supporting stones is preserved, while the capstone is missing.

Visited June 2019

The rectangular burial chamber extends from northeast to southwest. Here, too, four pairs of supports form the long sides, which – as usual, but in contrast to tomb A – also correspond to four capstones. From the entrance in the southeast, only the southern supporting stone remains in situ. The dimensions of the chamber are 7 x 2.2 m. The tomb was scientifically investigated in 1924 by K.H. Jacob Friesen.

Visited June 2019

The relatively short burial chamber, which is also north-south-west facing, consists of three capstones, three supporting stones on the southeast side, four supporting stones in the northwest and the two end stones. The complex was restored by W. D. Asmus before the Second World War. Previously, the north-east yoke with the endstone, the middle supporting stone on the south-east long side and the south-west endstone were in situ. Two yokes had collapsed due to the weight of the capstones. The dimensions of the chamber is 5 x 2 m. The entrance appears to have been between the first and second girders (counted from the right) on the south-east long side.

Visited June 2019

Tomb E is the northernmost tomb of the Sieben Steinhäuser.

The rectangular north-east-south-west burial chamber is around 5.60 mx 2.00 m in size. Similar to tomb A, the long sides consist of four supporting stones, on which there are only three capstones. The supporting stone of the southwestern narrow side was missing and was added during restoration. From the passage in the middle of the southeastern long side, which consisted of two yokes, there are only two supporting stones left.

Visited June 2019

Tomb D is the most striking tomb of the Sieben Steinhäuser. The chamber is covered by a single massive slab, measuring approximately 4.60 mx 4.20 m in thickness. The clear width of the compact chamber is about 4 m x 3 m. In the middle of the southeast side is the entrance, the two supporting stones of which are original, while the capstone was added. The tomb has a rectangular stone enclosure or giant bed. It is about 7 m wide und 14 m long, apart from an abrupt gap to the southwest. According to the information board, the enclosure was once much longer, but was shortened to its current length for the use of the perimeter stones for the other tombs.

Visited June 2019

After my first attempt to visit the Sieben Steinhäuser failed in 2019, I tried it again almost exactly a year later, on the return journey of my megalithic tour through the Weser-Elbe triangle. This time I had informed myself beforehand whether a visit to the megalithic tombs at the NATO training area Bergen-Hohne is possible. Nevertheless, I was a little nervous when I approached the gatehouse, because my disappointment to have to stand in front of a locked barrier again and have to turn back would have been correspondingly high. But this time it worked without any problems. After registering, I received a visitor badge, instructions on how to behave, and a short information letter about the megalithic tombs. From the gatehouse you have to drive about 5 km to the parking lot, leaving the road and the marked ways is strictly forbidden, as there may still be ammunition left outside the roads and paths.

The Sieben Steinhäuser near Bad Fallingbostel are among the most famous large stone graves in Germany. Since they only consist of five graves, research was long carried out on two allegedly destroyed graves. However, an engraving from 1744 shows that there were only five tombs at that time. In the vernacular, ”sieben” (seven) simply means in this context ”several“. For example, ”meine Siebensachen” meaning ”my seven things” do not consist of seven parts, but means ”all my belonings“. The good state of preservation of the tombs also suggests that there were originally only five.

Today, the tombs are protected by high earth walls against shooting practice and are surrounded by a fairly narrow fencing, which has a somewhat disturbing effect on the atmosphere. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit. When do you have the chance to see such five impressive megalithic tombs within a radius of only 200 m.

If you want to visit the site, please read my first fieldnotes below for a link, when the site is open for the public.

Visited June 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

As evidence of the oldest cultural landscape in northern Germany, megalithic tombs are among the most important archaeological monuments. The outstanding group of the Sieben Steinhäuser was already listed as a historic monument during the agricultural reform in 1923. Since it consists of only five individual graves, research was long carried out on two allegedly destroyed graves. However, an engraving from 1744 shows that there were only five tombs at that time.

In the 3rd millennium BC the tombs were built by the first farmers of the Funnel Beaker Culture. After the ice age glaciers melted, the stones boulders remained scattered in the heath.

Four of the five megalithic tombs were excavated and restored between 1924 and 1937. They were originally covered by mounds of earth. The sand that flowed through the wind and rain over the course of the millennia was not heaped up again during the restoration.

The transportation of the boulders and the construction of the graves using the simple technical means available at the time testify to the organizational talent and technical skills of the Neolithic people.

The Sieben Steinhäuser are now in a military training area. To protect against granite impacts, earth walls have been raised that surround the individual graves. The visual context between the tombs and the surrounding landscape has been lost as a result, but so far the group of monuments has been saved from being destroyed.

taken from the on-site information board:

The Sieben Steinhäuser (Seven Stone Houses)
Megalithic Tombs of the Neolithic around 2300 BC

The history of the construction and use of the Sieben Steinhäuser can be traced on the basis of the form of the megalithic tombs and the excavation results obtained at the end of the thirties.

In the middle phase of the Neolithic period the tomb D with its huge capstone was built according to West European model first.

The tomb was enclosed by an elongated Hunebed, which was later shortened to its current length for the use of the perimeter stones for the other tombs. In one go, the site was subsequently extended by four almost identical stone tombs (A, B, C and E).

From the lower found layer of tomb B came as an addition a ceramic vessel (1) and a flint blade (2) to light. In tomb C the amber oyster (3) and the cross-cutting arrowhead (4) also belong to the oldest find.

While the construction of the passage graves is based on the North German tradition, the ceramics point to close contacts with the Central German area.

In the late Neolithic period, the graves were reused after partial clearing of the old burials. In them, the dead were buried with such typical additions as the vessel with herringbone pattern (5) from tomb E individually. With the end of the Neolithic Age, people no longer bury themselves in megalithic tombs. But they were respected by all cultural groups until modern times.

Völkersen is the only surviving megalithic tomb in the district of Verden. The tomb is almost completely destroyed. Only one stone is left, which may be one of the final stones of the burial chamber. A panel attached to the stone mentions nine original supporting stones.

On the eastern outskirts of Völkersen on the road to the B215 the road Düvelshagen leads to the northeast. Follow the road for about 800 meters to a fork, here take the right road and reach after 850 meters to a natural gas extraction plant. Here you can park. Immediately before the plant, a path leads west into a grove. After 275 meters, a path branches off to the south-southwest, followe this path for 130 meters. Directly east of the path lies the ruined tomb.

Visited June 2019

The Hünensteine at Axstedt are located northwest of the village Axstedt on the Hünengräberweg in the remains of a former mound. The twelve lateral support stones and the two endstones of the eight-meter-long and 1.4-meter-wide chamber are largely preserved in situ. Of the formerly six capstones, only the one at the west end of the chamber is preserved. Access to the chamber was in the middle of the south side, two bearing stones of the passage have been preserved.

When I visited the tomb it was already quite late and the sun was slowly setting. Through the low sun the capstone of the burial chamber gleamed in a beautiful shade of red. Unfortunately my images didn’t capture this magical moment properly.

To get to the tomb, take the Harrendorfer Straße from Axstedt westwards to Harrendorf. After passing two houses on the right, turn right into the Hünengräberweg. Follow this for about 450 m to the north. The tomb is then on the right side of the road under trees.

Visited June 2019

The tomb has a mound with a diameter of about 35 m and a height of 2 m. In it lies a northeast-southwest oriented burial chamber with a width of 2 m. Their length is not exactly determinable. The stones are still deep in the soil, so that no precise statement can be made about how many are still preserved. Well visible are two capstones. The southwestern has a length of 2.2 m, a width of 3.5 m and a thickness of 1.15 m. He rests on wall stones that protrude only little out of the ground. On the southeast side it seems to be one, on the northwest side apparently two. The northeastern capstone is still deep in the ground, so its exact dimensions can not be determined.

The southwestern capstone has two rows of drill holes due to the planned destruction of the tomb in 1840. However, this could be averted by the landowner of Hodenberg at the last minute.

To get to the tomb, take the road Lindenallee from Bexhövede to the southwest in the direction of Dünenfähr. Immediately at the village entrance, the road makes a slight right bend. Here, a dirt road on the left leads to a small private cemetery, which you bypass on the right. The tomb is located directly behind the cemetery.

About one kilometer east of Bexhövede 1 originally a second site was located in Steertmoor.

Visited June 2019

The megalithic tomb Langen (also called Ritzerberg) is a possible burial site of the Neolithic Funnel Beaker Culture, but it is not certain that the mounument, now located in Langen, is actually the remains of a megalithic grave. These were discovered in 1849, when the Ritzerberg was demolished. Here, most of the material was removed without documentation. In its present form, the site is only since the 1880s. At that time, the previously rolled-off capstone was put back on the support stones. One or two of the four remaining support stones were also placed at their current position at this time. The capstone has a few cups.

These site is situated under a group of trees surrounded by houses right in the city of Langen just north of Bremerhaven. The tomb has even its own street name Am Dolmen. But it is easier to find the site by driving on the Leher Landstraße from Langen northwards towards Sievern, the tomb is situated at the street number 75 on the right, behind a car park.

Visited June 2019

The Bülzenbett is a passage grave with an approximately 8 × 4.7 meter chamber, with internal dimensions of about 2.0 to 2.5 × 6 meters with the three colossal capstones, one of which measures 4 × 3 meters. The middle capstone was blown up between 1604 and 1755, it still has a number of drill holes and is partially fallen into the interior of the chamber. The capstones are resting on nine support stones. A support stone on the southern long side is missing.

The Bülzenbett has a trapezoidal enclosure of about 35 m in length. Of their original 55 stones are still 33 available. Many are still in their original position, some were set up again during the restoration in 1970. They form an easterly rejuvenating trapeze measuring 8.5 by 6.5 by 35.5 meters.

In the middle of the 19th century, a small stone chamber was found within the enclosure, in which a hatchet and a flint dagger were found.

The capstones of the burial chamber of Bülzenbett should be among the largest capstones of all megalithic tombs in Germany. Even the two parts of the blasted middle capstone are still huge! A visit along with the nearby Pipinsburg and a hike on the archaeological trail is not only interesting because of the monuments lying along the way, but also very scenic!

To get to the tomb, take the L135 from Sievern northwards towards Holßel. After 750 m you come to a car park for the Pipinsburg on the right side.

Visited June 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Megatilthic tomb “Bülzenbett”

The Bülzenbett is a megalithic tomb of the Neolithic Funnel Beaker Culture (2nd half 3rd millennium BC). The burial chamber consists of nine support stones (formerly 10) and three capstones.

The middle capstone was blown up and thereby partially fell into the interior of the burial chamber. The still recognizable drill holes indicate that it should be further crushed and then driven off. The date of the damage can be determined relatively accurately: on a copperplate engraving made by Wilhelm Dilich from 1604 the Bülzenbett is shown intact, in 1755 Martin Mushard illustrated the Bülzenbett with the damaged capstone, as can still be seen today.

When the archaeological preservation of the district in the summer of 1970 put the entire complex back in a state worth visiting, the enclosing stones of the trapezoidal enclosure (Hünenbett) were raised again.

Flögeln 2 lies only about 15 meters away from Flögeln 1. Both sites were excavated in 1882 and 1898. The findings suggest the possible simultaneity of both graves. Despite their position (in a round hill and in a long barrow), in the basic construction they are the same.

The grave lies under a four meter high round mound, with a diameter of 29 meters. The burial chamber measures 5.8 meters in length and has a width of about two meters. It was built from ten support stones, on which five capstones rests. The entrance forms a short passage of two support and two capstones.

Unfortunately the tomb is closed with a gate. According to the information board you can borrow a key at the Museum Burg Bederkesa or at the Tourist Information in Bad Bederkesa.

To get to the tomb, you drive on the road Hohe Luft from Flügeln southwest to Fickmühlen. About halfway on the right hand side you will find the parking lot for the Prehistoric path Flögeln. From here, a short trail (about 120 m) leads sothwest (parallel to the road) first to the tomb Flögeln 2 and then to Flögeln 1.

Visited November 2019

taken from the on-site information board Prehistoric path Flögeln

Megalithic tomb of the Funnel Beaker Culture

The megalithic tomb, built from large boulders, was built during the Neolithic period during the so-called Funnel Beaker Culture (around 4200 – 2800 BC). The burial chamber consists of ten support and five capstones and is 5.8 m long and 2 m wide inside.
To the south there is access in the form of a short passage.

The grave was opened in 1882 by a Leher antiquarian collector. Inside, he found a hatchet, a “spearhead” made of flint, an ax as well as numerous ceramic finds, which are provided with the typical decoration of the pottery of the Funnel Beaker Culture.

The fully preserved chamber lies within a mound. In 1973, the grave was reopened by the archaeological preservation of the district of Cuxhaven and thereby created the funnel-like access. In the filled ground of the mound, remains of sod have been confirmed as building material. In addition, it was possible to prove a circular enclosure of boulders at the foot of the mound. Whether the mound was created with its enclosure at the same time as the central grave or in subsequent epochs, is not clear.

If you would like to enter the burial chamber, you can borrow a key at the Museum Burg Bederkesa or at the Tourist Information in Bad Bederkesa.
Here you have the rare opportunity to visit a fully preserved burial chamber. Inside, pay attention to the gaps between the large support stones filled with small stones. This dry masonry is no longer preserved at the second large stone tomb nearby.

The megalithic tomb Flögeln 1 lies only about 15 meters away from Flögeln 2. Both sites were excavated in 1882 and 1898. The findings suggest the possible simultaneity of both graves. Despite their position (in a round hill and in a long barrow), in the basic construction they are the same.

The megalithic tomb was known for a long time and probably served as a “quarry” from the 17th century. The rectangular enclosure was 19 meters long and eight meters wide. Of the dense stones of the enclosure are still 17 available. The chamber has a length of 8.6 meters and is up to 1.7 meters wide. It consists of fourteen supporting and six capstones. Of the capstones four have been preserved, two more are blown up. The two meter long and 0.7 meter wide passage consists of four supporting and two capstones.

To get to the tomb, you drive on the road Hohe Luft from Flügeln southwest to Fickmühlen. About halfway on the right hand side you will find the parking lot for the Prehistoric path Flögeln. From here, a short trail (about 120 m) leads sothwest (parallel to the road) first to the tomb Flögeln 2 and then to Flögeln 1.

Highly recommended!

taken from the on-site information board Prehistoric path Flögeln

Megalithic tomb of the Funnel Beaker Culture

Only a few meters from the megalithic tomb in the round hill lies this second tomb from the Funnel Beaker Culture. 14 supporting stones and 6 capstones form an inside 8.6 m long and 1.7 m wide burial chamber. It is inserted in a 16 m wide and nearly 6 m wide square “bed” made of large boulders. The area between the enclosure and the burial chamber was originally filled with soil. A 2 m long and 0.7 m wide passage provided access to the tomb from the south.
The megalithic tomb served as a quarry in the 19th century. Numerous stones of the enclosure and two of the capstones of the burial chamber were blown up. The same doom happen that time also to some other megalithic tombs in the area.
During excavations in 1898 numerous ceramic fragments of vessels and various stone tools were found in the tomb.

In prehistoric times, these ancient graves were frequently visited and more deceased buried in the mounds. Also in this grave, fragments of urns made of ceramics, cremated remains and a “small roll made of bronze” suggest evidence of burials of the younger Bronze Age (about 1200 – 600 BC).

The present state of the tomb dates back to reconstructions in 1973 in the course of the creation of the prehistoric path.

Munkwolstrup 1 lies south of the Munkwolstruper Weg. It is the largest site of the complex. The enclosure is oriented in northwest-southeast direction and has a length of 70 meters. During Sprockhoff’s recording in 1934 there were still 6 stones on the northeastern long side, and on the southwestern still 8 stones and one stone of a chamber.

Archaeological research began in 2000, and Arnkiel’s excavation results and records showed the original location of the missing stones. Thus, the site could be reconstructed again with boulders from surrounding gravel pits. At the southern end, in contrast to the original state, a passageway was built into the interior of the hunebed and equipped with several information boards. Quite a strange reconstruction! In the hunebed there are two extended dolmens, one on each long side. Below the tomb hook plow traces could be detected, which prove with the help of charcoal found in it, that in this region already 3600 BC agriculture was practiced.

The long barrow is today the largest reconstructed megalithic tomb in Northern Europe and after the long barrow of Karlsminde the second reconstructed monument of this type in Schleswig-Holstein.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 7 lies north of the Munkwolstruper Weg, it is the southernmost of the three tombs lying here.

The enclosure is northwest-southeast oriented and about 46 meters in length and 15.5-17 meters wide. The site is thus considerably wider than the surrounding tombs. The embankement is still relatively well preserved. On the long sides there are still some stones of the enclosure. An excavation in the northern half probably marks the location of a chamber. Another, smaller burial can be found in the southern area.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 6 lies north of the Munkwolstruper Weg, it is the middle of the three tombs lying here.

The enclosure is northwest-southeast oriented and is about 63 meters long and 7 meters wide. The embankment is still relatively well preserved. On the long sides there are still some stones of the enclosure. A deep depression marks the location of the chamber.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 5 is located north of the Munkwolstruper Weg, it is the northernmost of the three tombs lying here.

The enclosure is north-west southeast-oriented and about 31 meters long and 6 meters wide. The embankment is still relatively well preserved. On the long sides and at the northern end there are still some stones of the enclosure. Just south of the center, an hollow marks the location of the chamber.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 4 is located south of the Munkwolstruper Weg, just a few meters east of Munkwolstrup 1.

It is a burial mound of 14-16 meters in diameter. In the middle of the mound there is a depression, probably the location of the now destroyed chamber. Only one stone is still preserved here. All the stones have disappeared from the enclosure. During his recording Sprockhoff found two stones of the enclosure in 1934.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 2 is located south of the Munkwolstruper Weg, east of the south end of Munkwolstrup 1.

The enclosure is oriented in a north-east west-southwest direction. The site is quite heavily destroyed, there are only a few stones left at the western end. The original size of the enclosure has been about 30 x 6-7 meters. During Sprockhoff’s recording in 1934, more stones of the enclosure were preserved. The chamber, of which there are no more stones left, was in the western half of the hunebed.

Visited November 2019

Munkwolstrup 3 is the most southern tomb within the group, about 150 meters south of the southern end of Munkwolstrup 1.

The hunebed is oriented in northeast-southwest direction. The site is quite heavily destroyed, there are only a few stones of the enclosure preserved. The original size of the hunebed has been about 30 x 6 – 7 meters. A burial chamber is no longer recognizable.

Visited November 2019

At Munkwolstrup lies a group of seven megalithic tombs. From the B76, which leads from Flensburg to the south, turn off into the Munkwolstruper Weg. The graves are signposted from here. After about 150 meters you reach the parking lot of Arnkiel Park. It is an archaeological park with an information pavilion to the tombs. North of the Munkwolstruper Weg are three sites, south four. Sprockhoff’s numbering does not follow the series from north to south, but begins with the southern group. Here lies also the reconstructed, largest tomb of the group Munkwolstrup 1.

On the grounds are in total 6 long barrows and a burial mound. They all originate from the Funnel Beaker Culture. For a long time, there were only grassy hills covered with grass and bushes, with some curbs at the edges. In the 18th and 19th century almost all the stones of these monuments were removed to be used for road construction, as well as the reconstruction of the village Munkwolstrup, which was almost destroyed by fires around 1788.

The name Arnkiel Park refers to the Danish Probst Magister Trogillo (Troels) Arnkiel, who provided a first description of the graves. So these tombs are the only ones in northern Europe that have credible descriptions from the time before their destruction.

Visited November 2019

Hüsby is a rectangular dolmen, a burial type that is very common in Schleswig-Holstein. The original site was located about one kilometer further west. It was examined in 1966 by G. Schäfer. The mound had a diameter of 40 m at a height of 3 m. On the fringe were three stone encircles and a circular ditch. The west-east orientated chamber has a size of 2.1 mx 0.8 m and is 0.9 m high. Of the original 2 capstones, only one is left on which there are 112 small cups.

Ceramics stood on the flint pile: a funnel cup stood in front of the north side. Immediately before the endstone, a funnel cup and the shards of a heavily crushed cup and a bowl were found. Next to the bowl was a battered baking plate.

Today the reconstructed dolmen is located just before the northern village exit of Hüsby on the road Am Ochsenweg, between Klein-Dannewerk and Schuby, on the left (if you drive northward). There is a bus stop right before the tomb, where you can park your car.

Visited November 2019

The long barrow Nebel 1 is a megalithic tomb consisting of two burial chambers on the North Sea island of Amrum and is part of the Archaeological Area. The long barrow is a rare, rectangular Hunenbed in east-west orientation with two transverse chambers. Although the enclosure consists only of very few stones, a size of about 35 m x 7 m is assumed. The long bed was examined in 1951, while several bones and skulls, flint axes, arrowheads, ornate ceramics and amber beads were discovered as grave goods.

The eastern chamber is an extended dolmen. The long sides consist of two support stones, the northern narrow side of a single support stone. On the southern side there is a half support stone and a 0.35 m high threshold stone. The width of the chamber is 2.5 × 1.4 m. On the chamber lay two capstones, one has been shifted, the other has fallen into the chamber.

The western chamber is similar to the eastern, but a little longer and narrower. The long sides are also formed from two pairs of support stones. The chamber has only one capstone.

Unfortunately, only four stones of a burial chamber are visible, the rest has already disappeared under the dunes.

The grave is next to the reconstruction of an Iron Age house in the Archaeological Area of ??Amrum, northwest of the Vogelkoje Meeram (Vogelkoje means Duck decoy). Boardwalks lead to the right of the Vogelkoje Meeram around a wildlife enclosure first to the Iron Age house and then to the tomb.

Visited November 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Since the Neolithic there are finds of megalithic tombs on Amrum. This grave site consisted of two burial chambers. The boulders lying in front of you belong to a burial chamber. It was uncovered in the 1950s. The second, which has already disappeared under the dunes today, was already robbed at the time.

Burial chamber 1
In the burial chamber several bones and skulls were discovered, which result from different burials. In addition, flintstone axes, arrowheads, richly ornamented ceramics and amber beads were found as grave goods.

Skull drill of the Stone Age
A skull had a so-called skull trepanning. A medical procedure in which the skullcap is opened with stone blades.

Trepanations were carried out, e.g. to treat skull bruises. Surprisingly, well over 50% of those affected survived the procedure. In this case, the nearly 30-year-old man did not survive the skull injury caused by a stone slash weapon despite surgery.

Between Nebel and Norddorf there are still three burial mounds: Makkanhugh, Kanshugh and Klöwenhugh. Klöwenhugh is probably the most prominent burial mound out of these three.

According to the on-site information board, some excavation did take place, but due to grave robbers and a bungled examination of a teacher and his students only one bronze sword and some cremated human bones are known as grave findings. To make matters worse, the sword was destroyed in 1889 during a house fire.

Klöwenhugh (which means “split burial mound”), lies directly on the L215 between Nebel and Norddorf. There is a parking area on the right with an information board. From here the tomb lies only 100 m north along the L215. Also you can walk to the Vogelkoje Meeram (Vogelkoje means Duck decoy) and the Archaeological Area with the megalithic tomb Nebel 1 from here.

Visited November 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

A Bronze Age grave
The burial mound called Klööwenhuuch is one of about 500 archaeological sites on the island of Amrum. It dates from the Middle Bronze Age (about 1600 to 1300 BC) and contains a main grave and a smaller tomb.

The main grave consisted of a clay-sealed, about 1 x 0.4 x 0.5 m stone cist containing cremated human bones and a double-bladed bronze sword. Above the main grave was a smaller stone cist that also contained cremated bones.

Grave robbers and archaeologists
Most burial mounds on Amrum were robbed long ago. The Klööwenhuuch was first examined in 1880 by the teacher and sexton Bandix Friedrich Bonken together with his students. However, this happened without any archaeological knowledge and methods. Most grave finds were sold, partly to the first Amrumer spa guests.

Only a year later, the Klööwenhuuch was expertly examined by Otto Olshausen. However, at this time all grave goods had disappeared from the burial mound. The bronze sword from the Klööwenhuuch was destroyed in 1889 during a house fire.

Christians and earth spirits
At the time of the introduction of the Reformation in 1522-1524, the burial mound, located exactly between Nebel and Norddorf, was said to have served as a place of gathering for the Protestant community. In addition, some Amrumer myths and legends intertwine around this burial mound. In it, for example, the invisible Onerbäänke (earth spirits) have lived.

Between Nebel and Norddorf there are still three burial mounds: Klöwenhugh, Makkanhugh and Kanshugh. Unlike Makkanhugh, Kanshugh is still clearly recognizable and and visible from afar.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find any information about archaeological findings or excavation on this burial mound.

Kanshugh lies about 750 m north northwest from Makkanhugh on the same track. So take my directions from [[Makkanhugh] and continue on the same track for another 750 m. Kanshugh lies in a field to the left, about 100 m from the track.

Visited November 2019