Nucleus

Bliedersdorf 1 is a very well preserved long barrow of 51 meters lenght and 8 meters width. Almost all stones are present and are in situ. The stones on the narrow sides are larger than those of the long sides. In the middle of the enclosure there is a chamber with two support stones transverse to the longitudinal direction. It can be considered an extended dolmen. Their dimensions are about 3 x 1.2 meters. The access is in the southwest. Immediately northwest with a gap of only 3 meters, the tomb Bliedersdorf 2 connects.

Visited May 2019

Bliedersdorf 2 is well preserved. Some stones of the enclosure are missing, some more are slightly shifted. The dimension is 28 x 6 meters. The chamber is located slightly northwest of the center of the enclosure. A capstone is still on the stones. The access is in the southwest. Immediately northwest with a gap of only about 3 meters, the tomb Bliedersdorf 3 connects.

Visited May 2019

Bliedersdorf 4 is very well preserved. The length is 39 meters, the width 7 meters. It lacks only a few stones of the enclosure. The chamber is located slightly southeast of the center. It is an extended dolmen of 4 x 2 meters inside. Only a support stone of the chamber is missing. Both capstones are, only slightly shifted, still on. While the tombs 1-3 are located close to each other in a row, Bliedersdorf 4 is offset by 30 meters parallel to the southeast of the other tombs.

Visited May 2019

Bliedersdorf 3 is relatively well preserved, it lacks some stones of the enclosure, some more are slightly shifted. The dimension is approximately 30 x 6 meters. The chamber is located slightly northwest of the center of the enclosure. The support stones of the chamber are all still present, but all capstones are missing. The size of the chamber is approximately 3 x 1.5 meters.

Visited May 2019

Horneburg 2 is an approximately northeast-southwest oriented long barrow of about 80 meters in length. From the enclosure only a few stones on the southeastern long side are preserved. Approximately in the middle is a no longer complete chamber. It is believed that it originally consisted of 4 yokes. At the western end of the long barrrow is a second, also heavily destroyed chamber.

On the current map of the necropolis Daudieck the site is designated as station 4.

Visited May 2019

Horneburg 3 is located about 125 m south of Horneburg 2 in the western corner of a wooded area. The site is oriented almost in east-west direction. It is a very heavily destroyed long barrow. Visible is still a 48 meters long and 6 meters wide hill. In the middle lies the rest of a chamber. Visible are still three supporting stones. From the enclosure only two stones are preserved.

Along with Horneburg 3 this tomb is station 6 on the current map of the necropolis Daudieck walk.

Visited May 2019

Immediately to the east of Horneburg 3 lies the passage grave Horneburg 4. The enclosure of the approximately 39 m long barrow is almost not preserved, except for three stones south of the chamber and west of the entrance. However, the chamber is completely preserved except for the capstones. Only the western capstone is still on the support stones, the other two are missing. The still available entrance to the chamber is located on the south side and still has a capstone.

Along with Horneburg 3 this tomb is station 6 on the current map of the necropolis Daudieck walk.

Visited May 2019

About 220 m southwest of Horneburg 3 and Horneburg 4 lies a striking mound under a group of trees in the field. In the mound in a hollow is a stone cist, from which a 2 meter large capstone can be seen. The support stones of the chamber are not exposed. The capstone has a number of cup marks.

On the current map of the necropolis Daudieck the site is designated as station 7.

Visited May 2019

taken from the information board of station 6:

Megalithic tombs in the long barrows B and C

The process for the construction of the megalithic tombs was tried by replicas to get on the track. Without major problems, the method proved first to raise a smaller hill. In it the support stones can be brought into position. The empty space is filled and a ramp heaped up to the top of the support stones. Over the slope, the capstones are pulled to their destination and fitted. Thereafter, the chamber can be freed from soil again and the “interior work” begins.
The gaps between the irregularly shaped support bricks are dry-walled with layers of shallow-cut smaller stones. Different materials were used for the chamber bottoms: field stones set in paving, stone gravel in loam, pure loam and others. Divided into the ground were more frequent divisions, for example – as here in the chamber of long barrow B – rows of stones, the “quarters / districts” separated from each other. Presumably these were markings, which deceased could be buried where. The renovation of the mound and the grounds will be the last construction work. The lockable passage made it possible to re-enter the chamber as often as required. Not only the builders of the tombs used this fesature, but also the following population, which were not the funnel beaker people. Around 2500 BC, a society immigrated to this region, whose livelihood as a shepherd was the cattle.
In addition to their own funeral rites, which they call “single grave people”, they also cleared the bones of funnel beaker people from the chambers and used some of their own deceased. Therefore undisturbed funnel beaker burials are rather rarely in the stone chambers. Only a remnant of the supporting part of the earlier elaborate burial grounds has come over as ruins.

taken from the information board of station 6:

Megalithic tombs in the long barrows B and C

The process for the construction of the megalithic tombs was tried by replicas to get on the track. Without major problems, the method proved first to raise a smaller hill. In it the support stones can be brought into position. The empty space is filled and a ramp heaped up to the top of the support stones. Over the slope, the capstones are pulled to their destination and fitted. Thereafter, the chamber can be freed from soil again and the “interior work” begins.
The gaps between the irregularly shaped support bricks are dry-walled with layers of shallow-cut smaller stones. Different materials were used for the chamber bottoms: field stones set in paving, stone gravel in loam, pure loam and others. Divided into the ground were more frequent divisions, for example – as here in the chamber of long barrow B – rows of stones, the “quarters / districts” separated from each other. Presumably these were markings, which deceased could be buried where. The renovation of the mound and the grounds will be the last construction work. The lockable passage made it possible to re-enter the chamber as often as required. Not only the builders of the tombs used this fesature, but also the following population, which were not the funnel beaker people. Around 2500 BC, a society immigrated to this region, whose livelihood as a shepherd was the cattle.
In addition to their own funeral rites, which they call “single grave people”, they also cleared the bones of funnel beaker people from the chambers and used some of their own deceased. Therefore undisturbed funnel beaker burials are rather rarely in the stone chambers. Only a remnant of the supporting part of the earlier elaborate burial grounds has come over as ruins.

Between Issendorf and Gut Daudieck is the “city of the deceased”, the necropolis Daudieck. Easily accessible during a walk, numerous tombs of several millennia lie on the flat slope down to the river Aue. The oldest tombs are the largest and the most elaborate: in the period from about 5,000 to 4,500 years ago, some buried their deceased in megalithic tombs. The circular walk is archaeologically extremely exciting and is about 2 kilometers long. Along the route there are a total of nine stations, several burial mounds (stations 2, 5, 8 and 9) three megalithic tombs (station 4 and 6) and a stone cist (station 7).

Visited May 2019

taken from the information board of station 4:

Megalithic tombs in long barrow A

During the cultural-historical period, called the Neolithic period (about 4000 to 2000 BC), there was a period of two different burial customs: tombs, which are very similar to today’s coffin burials, and closed burial chambers. In this area large boulders were available as building material, which were still lying around in large numbers on the ground surface 5000 years ago. They come, as all the soil in northern Germany, from Scandinavia and were during the penultimate Ice Age (about 250,000 to 130,000
years) transported here. The people who built megalithic tombs introduced agriculture to our area. They were the first with a sedentary lifestyle. Also they produced a considerable number of ceramic vessels. After a characteristic pot shape they produced, we call them funnel beaker people.

Usally, only a stone chamber is under an elongated hill (long bed) or in a round hill. In this long bed are two chambers. From the archive of the Daudieck estate we know that by 1780 more than 100 kerbstones of the ??the mound enclosure were present. In addition to the few support stone of the chamber only eleven of them have survived. The width of the chambers depends on the largest available boulders, which could be moved as capstones. The length is not subject to such constraints, because in each case a capstone on two opposite support stones – forming a so-called yoke – could be placed in any number together. In fact, the number of yokes used is determined by the offer of stone and the local building tradition. In the Weser-Ems area for example, up to 13 yoke long tombs were built.

taken from the information board of station 5:

Central burials in burial mounds

During the centuries from about 1500 to 1200 BC the dead were often laid in halved, hollowed out tree trunks, covered with wooden planks, and then a large mound was heaped up. The tree-coffins lay on field stone paving. Wedge stones came in the gusset between stones and trunk, so that it lay stable. On the soil freed from the topsoil, this arrangement gave an excellent rest. Why in later times cremation was the usual kind of burial is one of the interesting questions in our cultural history. Archaeological excavations have revealed, among other things, that during the earliest incinerations stone pavement and halved tree trunk were maintained. So there was an urn with the burnt ash in the coffin. The next step was to put the urn directly on a pavement, until one later renounced even the stone setting.

taken from the information panel of station 2:

Burial mounds

Burial mounds, which were built between about 1600 and 1200 BC, with diameters of 15 m to 20 m at a height over 3 m are not a rarity. Only a fraction of the original site are preserved. Most of them are not complete anymore. As with this mound almost always missing is the enclosure of large field stones or organic building material such as wooden posts or wicker, which can still be traced at the mound foot. Already during the Bronze Age around 1500 BC when the construction of burial mounds was custom, there must have been large heathland, because many mounds have been piled up with heath sods. Because heather, however, only occurs in a cultural landscape, we can conclude that humans have used large areas of land and brownfields already 3400 years ago.

taken from the information board of station 9:

Grave robbers

Plundering of the burial mounds was early on. Objects such as daggers, swords, arm and leg jewelry could have been reused after the robbery. However, no objects from the burial mound time in later centuries are archaeologically documented. Rather, the bronzes was melted again to re-produce the currently used things. Bronze as a raw material had to be always imported in this area, which is why it had a high value. Other grave robbers also used the mounds to extract raw materials: sand and stones are still mined and otherwise reused. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there was an antiquarian interest in teachers and pastors who dug into the mound from above to retrieve the grave goods of the central burial. “Old pots”, when found, usually were left broken in the overburden.

taken from the information board of station 7:

Stone cist in the burial mound

Burial mounds with stone “cists” for the central tomb were rarer than tree-coffins. This type of funerals were probably at the beginning of the burial mound time the prefered manner. The principle is to build a stable, maybe permanent protection for the burial. 1000 years later, from 600 BC, urns were also places in stone boxes. The stone cist of this mound holds a special feature: located on the capstone are cup marks (bowls). Cup-marked stones can also be found at other places, but usually not as part of a tomb, but in its own function. Unfortunately, a convincing reason why there are cups drilled or pecked into the hard boulders are not found yet. Most assumptions refer to cultic actions.

taken from the information board of station 1:

Funeral customs from three millennia

Easily accessible during a walk, there are numerous tombs of a necropolis, a “city for the dead,” down the flat slope to the river Aue. The oldest tombs are the largest and the most elaborate: in the period from about 5,000 to 4,500 years ago, some buried their deceased in megalithic tombs. They built large boulders chambers, some of which received low and narrow entrances. The stone chambers were covered by a pack of earth. The resulting mounds are available in elongated or even round shape. So that the loose soil did not immediately drain again, many plants received a wreath of larger field stones. Had the chambers an access, several deceased could be buried in them, as it is still e.g. happens in family tombs.

In the centuries around 1400 BC, the second important group was built: the round burial mounds with one to three earth burials each. The deceased were bedded into tree coffins at an earlier stage, later they were burned and the remains were placed in urns. They were made of clay, often of fabric or leather. At the time, the population was already using tools and jewelery made of bronze, which at first could not be made in this area. Swords, daggers, needles, neck and arm jewelery came from the south and southeast. Monuments of the type described, as far as they are even preserved, are easily recognizable as ruins in the terrain. It is different with grave fields from earth or cremation burials. Although it characterized funerals from about 700 BC. By flat small piles of earth and / or by upright stones / wooden posts. But they have not survived until today. A few yards to the north was a burial ground, which was occupied between about 350 – 570 after Christ’s birth. There were more than 6,000 people buried. In the grove east of here is a urn grave field from the time of about 600 to 300 BC. Partially, the funerals are located between the older large burial mounds, in some cases they are also set in the hills.

Deinste 1 is a passage grave, which was sunk into the underground in the manner of the simple dolmen (Urdolmen). Until the 1930s there was a field consisting of 43 barrows in the heath around a now silted lake. In the remainder of a once large round mound, which contained two tree-coffin burials, lay a small chamber, whose easr end is strongly disturbed. Of the formerly three capstones only two are present. The third fell victim to stone seekers in the mid-19th century. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the open chamber was the target of robberies. The site could be restored and protected from further destruction. The big mound with a diameter of 25 meters was completely dug up. The support stones had been placed in a 90-centimeter deep pit and stand out only about 50 centimeters above the surface. The spaces between the stones were filled with stone slabs. On the south side was a narrow entrance. In front of it lay staircase stones and a door sill stone. A wedge-shaped stone closed the entrance.

The grave is located about eight kilometers south of Stade and 1.5 kilometers southeast of Deinste. At the train station in Deinste you drive on the Hauptstraße to the south. The Hauptstraße turns into the Kirchweg. After about 2 km you’ll reach the private road Bei den Hünengräbern, which branches off to the left. Park your car here and walk about 350 m on this road, the tomb is then on the right, about 70 m in a field.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site megalithic board:

The megalithic tomb of Deinste is located in the middle of a large burial ground. As late as 1930, the burial ground lay in a heath landscape and comprised 43 hills. At a survey in 1959, 23 tombs were counted.

Tomb raiders had partly destroyed the megelithic burials already in the 20’s in the search for stones, which were desired as building material. In 1928/29 the burial chamber was examined for the first time. The remains of the grave mound remained untouched, it should be preserved as a monument. But after the former heathland was converted into farmland and pasture and the mound was partly cleared, in 1959 an archaeological investigation of the entire complex was necessary. The excavations have been financed by the district of Stade.

The results of the investigation: The grave was erected at the highest point between two lowland areas. The supporting stones of the chamber are embedded in a pit excavated about 90 cm deep. On the narrow sides of the chamber is a supporting boulder; there are three boulders on the southern long side and two boulders on the northern side. Traces of the stolen northeastern support stone were detected.

The boulders point with their glacier-ground smooth sides inside. The gaps between the support stones are closed in detail with flat struck stones. In the approximately 40 cm wide gap between the southeastern and the middle support stone on the southern end of the chamber a so-called sill stone is fitted; the granite block placed on top closes the chamber. Two approx. 1 m long stones flank the passage to the chamber; it is paved with elongated rubble like a stair case. The chamber floor is double-paved with two layers of head-sized boulders, between which there is a bed of small stones with gravel. On their outsides, the support stones are packed with fist-sized beaten debris. Of the three capstones originally present, only two remained: the northwestern one, from which parts were cut off, and the middle one, which had to be “redirected” back to its old position during the restoration.

At about the lower edge of the capstone, a stone wreath of “bucket-sized” boulders surrounded the chamber. The stone wreath was halfway up the sand-hill, which had been so littered with the burial chamber that the capstones were scarcely covered. After 1928/29 a flint axe and two flint blades from the chamber as well as a small cup vessel from the filling sand of the chamber, which had been ejected during a robbery excavation, had been recovered in 1959, another flint axe and some ceramic discs could be excavated in the chamber. To the north, east, and south of the chamber lay ceramic slabs of old-fashioned broken vessels on the grown floor. The vessels were largely reconstructed.

In the Bronze Age, the Neolithic grave site, which was used in funerary beaker culture and the single grave culture for burials, has been extended. Presumably, three tree-coffins have been made. As part of the expansion, a mound of turf was built over the entire system. The mound had a diameter of 24.5 m and was at least 2.1 m high. In places, a stone wreath could be excavated from grouped stones, which bordered the large hill. In the upper layers of the extended mound, the excavators found remains of destroyed urns and cremated bones. Probably in the late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age so-called urn burials took place at the same place.

Through a lease agreement between the owner and the district of Stade, the Neolithic burial chamber was preserved and made accessible to the public.

Hammah 2, like Hammah 3, is still buried in a mound with a length of 20 m and a width of 16 m. The burial chamber is oriented approximately west-east and has a length of 6 m and a width of 1.5 m. It has four support stones on the long sides and one end stone on the narrow sides. All are still in situ. The capstones are robbed except for one fragment probably damaged by blasting attempts.

The grave is located in a small grove south of the Groß Sterneberger Straße. On this road you drive from Groß Sternberg to the east in the direction of Stade. Approximately 650 m behind Groß Sternberg a sign points to the right to the tombs (Hammah 2 and Hammah 3), here you should also park the car. You walk on the dirt road to the southwest, after about 500 m this track turns to the right and you reach a forest hut. Here you leave the main path and continue on the right side of the hut on the trail. Hammah 3 lies about 75 m along this trail, Hammah 2 is only about 40 m further on the same trail.

Visited May 2019

Hammah 3, like Hammah 2, is still buried in a mound with a length of around 21 meters and a width of 18 meters. The burial chamber resting in the mound is oriented approximately east-west. The chamber has a length of about 5.5 m and a width of 1.5 m. The chamber still has four pairs of support stones on the long sides and a closing stone on the western narrow side. These are all still in situ, the eastern capstone is missing. Sprockhoff recorded only two capstones in his plan of the tomb. On my visit, however, I counted five, one of them broken (as a result of an attempt to carry away the stones?).

The tomb is located in a small grove south of the Groß Sterneberger Straße. On this road you drive from Groß Sternberg to the east in the direction of Stade. Approximately 650 m behind Groß Sternberg a sign (N53° 37’ 54.5” E9° 23’ 32.6”) points to the right to the tombs (Hammah 2 and Hammah 3), here you should also park the car. You walk on the dirt road to the southwest, after about 500 m this track turns to the right and you reach a forest hut. Here you leave the main path and continue on the right side of the hut on the trail. Hammah 3 lies about 75 m along this trail, Hammah 2 is only about 40 m further on the same trail.

Visited May 2019

Hammah 1 is a very well preserved passage grave consisting of ten support stones with the associated intermediate lining of dry masonry and three large capstones. The hill, which once covered the tomb, is still clearly visible. The tomb is located in a small clearing under an idyllic group of trees, only about 40 meters from the road.

Drive on the K3 northward from Hammah to Groß Sterneberg. Just before you reach Groß Sterneberg there is a small group of trees on the right side, the tomb is located under the trees. Parking is a bit tricky, but possible on a access into the surrounding fields.

This is a stunning beauty and must-see site, if you are in the area!

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

The megalithic tomb of Hammah

The more than 4000 years old megalithic tomb of Hammah is one of the best preserved Neolithic tombs in the district of Stade. The faithful preservation of the stone chamber is due to the Groß Sterneberger teacher Wilhelmi, who saved the grave after the First World War from being used as a source of raw material for a memorial monument. In 1924 the district of Stade leased the site of the megalithic tomb with an area of ??1100 square meters and bought the area in 1969. It is not without pride that the Hammah community keeps the megalithic tomb symbol in its local coat of arms.

In August 1921, Prof. dr. K. H. Jacob-Friesen archaeologically examined the burial chamber and published in 1924 the obtained excavation results. The tomb has been erected on a flat top of a hill. The carrier inventions are recessed in the sandy soil; their glacier-polished smooth sides point inwards. ‘Lining bricks’ closed the gaps between the support stones. Up to the upper edge of the support stones a sand hill has been heaped up; the resulting inclined plane has facilitated the application of the capstones. In 1968, as part of a restoration, Dr. J. Deichmüller gained further insights: a gravel of beaten granites and rolling stones surrounded the burial chamber as an abutment within a radius of 2 m and to a depth of 2.25 m (measured from the top of the middle capstone); the ground inside the tomb was paved with a larger debris.

In 1921, the excavators found outside the burial chamber an urn burial of the pre-Roman Iron Age at one of the supporting stones. The chamber contained only Bronze Age inventory: 7 shards of an ornate ceramic vessel, an ornate bronze arm ring preserved in fragments and also some cremated bones. The excavators concluded that Bronze Age people had cleared out the remains of the Neolithic primary burials, along with grave goods, before using the chamber to funnel one of their group members.

Scientific investigations by Dr. Leuschner and Dr. Delorme have revealed that around 350 AD, Hammah began to build up bogs, which eventually led to a complete overmooring of the Neolithic and Bronze Age tombs. The bog saved the tombs from access by people seeking building materials for roads and house foundations. Only by the extensive cultivation of the moor at the beginning of this century, the originally 3-4 m thick upland moor was drained and dug.

As part of the research project on landscape development and settlement history in the Stader area in 1983, the eastern edge of the hill of the megalithic tomb and some Bronze Age burial mounds were archaeologically examined. The results were submitted in 1985/86 in the series of the district Stade “Beiträge des Landkreises zu regionalen Themen” (“Contributions of the district to regional topics”).

The four megalithic tombs are located in the area of ??the municipality of Hammah belonging to the integrated municipality Oldendorf-Himmelpforten in the Elbe-Weser triangle in Lower Saxony in a former bog. During the draining and cultivating of the bog during the First World War, the stones of several tombs, which had originally been erected on a flat, sandy hilltop, on which the moor formation started later, unexpectedly came to light. The four tombs are part of a larger necropolis that stretches northeast of Hammah in the northwest-southeastern line.

Hammah 1 is located near the belonging to Hammah district Groß Sterneberg immediately east of the two places connecting Bahnhofstrasse. 1.1 km east-southeast of this are the tombs Hammah 2 and Hammah 3 at the southeastern end of the necropolis. They are only 20 meters north-south from each other. There are also two burial mounds at this site. Hammah 4 is about halfway between Hammah 1 and the tombs of Hammah 2 and Hammah 3.

Visited May 2019

Unfortunately there is not much left of the megalithic tomb in Heinbockel. Only two supporting stones, as well as a capstone and a end stone of a northeast-southwest oriented burial chamber is preserved. Its width is 1.5 m, the original length and the type of the tomb can not be determined. The information board makes like the entire system a rather sad impression. The proximity to homes and a road also does not contribute to the overall atmosphere.

The tomb is located directly in Heinbockel. Drive on the K57 from Hagenah towards Heinbockel. Just when you enter the village turn right into the road Im Buschberge, which leads directly to the tomb. After 300 m you come to a T-junction and the road Kötnerende, the tomb is located directly at this T-junction on the other side of the road.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

The megalithic tomb of Heinbockel

Only one end stone, two opposite support stones and a capstone testify to a megalithic tomb from the Neolithic (the younger Stone Age) in Heinbockel. The accompanying drawing illustrates the general principle according to which megalithic tombs have been erected: The longitudinal sides of the burial chambers are formed by paired boulders, the conclusion on the narrow sides is formed by a eratic block. The capstones rest on the stones.

Over the centuries, the megalithic tombs were largely destroyed because their stones were sought after for construction purposes. An impressive example of such a changeable tomb-to-quarry history is this remnant of a megalithic tomb. It is a monument in the double sense. On the one hand, it bears witness to a type of burial in the Neolithic period, on the other hand, the handling of later generations with these graves. (One of the best-preserved megalithic tombs in the district of Stade stands on the road from Hamburg to Groß Sternberg.)

The Bronze Age stone cist of Hagenah is located southeast of the cemetery of Hagenah on the street “Krügerfeld” in a field. Parking is easy at the cemetery. Access should be possible all year round, as a small trail leads to the group of trees under which the stone cist lies.

The commonly known “Osterbarg” hill, which covered the stone cist, belongs to a destroyed group of burial mounds on the Geest ridge. After the First World War, the Osterbarg was gradually removed. In doing so, a tree coffin stone packing of about 2.5 m to 3.5 m was destroyed. At the end of 1930, one came upon a vertical stone slab, which was part of the stone cist. In 1964 the box was completely uncovered and is nearly in a perfect condition. Most of the cist is covered by a large capstone.

The monument stands today under high trees at a far visible place.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

The stone cist tomb of Hagenah

The stone cist tomb of Hagenah belongs to a group of ruined burial mounds, which lay on a Geest ridge beside the valley of Schwingetal. Once the tomb rested under the southeastern edge of a mighty mound of about 26 meters in length, 22 meters wide and 1.80 m -2 meters high. Due to frequent sand removal this mound was mostly destroyed. According to reports, a 2.5 m x 3.5 m large stone packing was removed before 1930, the stone cist was discovered at the southeast end of the mound remnant. Only after finds from the burial chamber came to light, the then monument conservator in Stade, Adolf Cassau, was notified. To preserve the remains of the mound, he examined only the interior of the stone cist. He was supported by archeology doctoral candidate Karl Kersten from Stade, who later became widely known as a prehistorian. From the excavation findings and the reports of the sand-mining worker, the picture of a completely paved chamber resulted, in which probably two burials were made: A body burial and a burial of cremated bones are considered secured. The brozen grave goods, a so-called northern palstave, a two-part fibula and a dagger were assigned to the body burial (see found drawings and image of the finds on this board). The axe and the fibula belong to the period II of the Nordic Bronze Age after Montelius (some 1500 – 1250 BC).

The state of preservation of the monument required in 1964 an archaeological follow-up. Dr. J. Deichmüller uncovered the stone cist completely, so that its structure could be completely clarified: Two narrow, long support stones border the long side of the chamber. A larger and a second smaller support stone are on the western narrow side; on the eastern narrow side is a “closing stone”. A large capstone lies on the western chamber, a smaller cap covers the eastern third of the chamber. Several small stones close the gap between the two capstones. Very carefully, the joints between the support stones and capstones have been closed with hewn stones. Wedge stones provide good stability to the support stones embedded in the ground.

The History and Home Association of Stade has acquired the property with the stone cist to ensure the protection of this cultural monument from the older Bronze Age.

Byhusen is a megalithic tomb preserved only in remnants. The tomb is located southeast of Byhusen about halfway to Farven on the edge of a field. At the border of two fields several boulders lie in a hedge on a distance of about 50 m, which are probably the remains of a megalithic tomb. It may be the enclosure stones of a giant bed (Hunebed / Hünebett). According to Johannes Heinrich Müller and Jacobus Reimers, it was almost completely destroyed in the 1890s.

Driven on the K127 from Byhusen towards Farven. Turn right after a cemetry, just before you leave the village. This roads leads first through a forest, before it reach an open field. Continue until you come to a T-crossing (about 1 km after you leave the K127), turn left here. The remains of the tomb lies 75 m in the hedge on the right.

To be honest not much to see, maybe a visit in winter is the better choice.

Visited May 2019

This is a rather big stone cist from the late neolithic, constisting of 4 support stone pairs, two end stones and one big capstone. According to the information board, the stone cist was relocated from the western field, the original position was about 30.0 m southwest in the field.

Also two larger boulder are laying north of the stone cist, which are probably stones from now destroyed megealithic tombs from the same field.

In Fehrenbruch take the Fehrenbrucher Mühlenweg which leads to the west-northwest. Continue for about 1.2 km, passing a cemetry and you’ll find the stone cist, along with an information board and a parking possibility, on the left side.

Visited May 2019

StoneExperienceRoute (Station 35)
Stone graves and Barrows Fehrenbruch

The burial cemetery in Fehrenbruch

In Fehrenbruch are still the remains of a large prehistoric cemetery, which gives the visitor an impression of the burial culture of the Neolithic until the early Iron Age. There are different graves of the respective epochs. At least three giant tombs, also called megalithic tombs, were buried in the area adjoining to the west, where the dead of a family were buried for many generations. These graves were built from partly huge boulders and were usually superimposed with up to 1.50 m high mounds.

Surrounding boulders are undoubtedly wall stones of such tombs of the Neolithic. The construction of such graves made of huge stones, which seems puzzling to us today, testifies on the one hand to the high degree of craftsmanship, but on the other hand also strengthens the popular belief that only giants could move such large stones.

The small stone cist from the Neolithic period for one person is unfortunately no longer available in the original condition. A reconstruction is located northeast of the original location. From the later Neolithic and older Bronze Age (2500-1200 BC) are the mounds of burial mounds. They originally had steep outer walls made of stones or grass sods and a higher domed summit. The dead were often buried in coffins of hollowed-out tree trunks.

Small shallow burial mounds over urn graves of the younger Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (1200-700 BC) have also been found here.

The act of giants
Even in the Middle Ages, it was believed that the Neolithic tombs, lined with tons of stones, could only have been built by giants for their own kind. The still common name “giant tomb” seems to take into account the creation of this legend, because a “Hune or Hüne” is by definition a superhuman and strong being, just a giant.

The stone cist of Anderlingen is the most famous stone cist of Germany, which was created about 3,400 years ago in the older Bronze Age. It was found in 1907 in a hill near Anderlingen and is now in the Lower Saxony State Museum in Hanover.

About one kilometer northeast of Anderlingen there were three burial mounds. In 1907, when they wanted to remove the middle grave mound to gain building material, they came across the stone cist.

At the site of the middle burial mound, the Anderlinger Kulturverein reconstructed the various graves as well as the burial mound. The reconstructed stone cist contains only a replica of the original picture stone, which is also Lower Saxony State Museum in Hanover.

Drive from Anderlingen on the K109 to Sprakel and at the first opportunity turn right into the street Wiesenweg. The nicely reconstructed complex is then located after about 375 m on the left side.

Visited May 2019

taken from the two on-site information boards:

The burial mound with picture stone of Anderlingen

Discovery

In September / October 1907, a burial mound was dug in Anderlingen to gain building material. Gerdt Hinrich Brandt came across a stone box.

The stone box was then exposed to rain and snow for several weeks. As a result, over time, the adhering sand was washed away from the stones. Thus, in January 1908, the depiction of several persons on the southern end stone became visible.

After the discovery of the picture stone the provincial museum Hanover (today’s federal state museum) initiated immediately excavations under the direction of Dr. Hans Hahne. Due to the frosty weather, only the stone cist and a small part of the surrounding area could be examined.

Burial mound

The burial mound was created in the Bronze Age between 1,700 and 1,400 BC. In the middle was a stone packing that served as a foundation for a tree coffin.

In the period between 1,400 and 1,500 BC, the mound was extended for two secondary burials. The stone cist with picture stone and a stone pavement was created, which probably served as a base for another tree coffin.

Some time later the mound was opened by grave robbers who deliberately visited the stone box.

Finds

Already in October 1907, the local historian Hans Müller-Brauel was notified of the find. He was able to secure a hatchet, a fibula (garment clasp) and a dagger (all made of bronze) from the stone cist. The wooden handle of the dagger decorated with bronze studs was still recognizable. But only the rivets could be recovered. Remains of leather-covered wood sheath were also still present. Other additions of organic material such as textiles or wood have not survived. On the stone cist some ceramic disks could be observed.

From the central stone packing only a tiny bronze fragment was recovered.

Picture stone

The most famous find is certainly the picture stone. It shows three persons. The left one raises his hands in praying posture, the middle one carries a hatchet and the right one is characterized by a long robe and an oblong-oval head.

Figurative representations within graves are only known from the Swedish sites Kivik and Sagaholm. Comparable figures are also found in the rock drawings in Bohuslän, Sweden. Presumably, a funerary ceremony or a mythical scene is depicted on the picture stone of Anderlingen.

Burials

During the first work on the burial mound in 1907 and in the excavations in 1908 several burials were observed, which were much younger than the Bronze Age.

A rich woman’s grave was in the upper part of the grave mound. The dead was buried in the late 5th century AD with three gold-plated silver fibulae. Two brooches had a distinctive bird shape and were made in a Saxon workshop according to Franconian model.

In a neighboring hill was the richly decorated tomb of a Saxon warrior of the 5th century AD, who once served in the Roman legion.

Surrounding Area

Formerly there was a small group of altogether three burial mounds, presumably all from the Bronze Age.

Reconstruction

A reconstruction of the burial mound was built, as the picture stone of Anderlingen is one of the most important and well-known archaeological finds in northern Germany. It clarifies the Europe-wide relations during the Bronze Age.

The grave buildings were reconstructed on the former site. A newly raised mound gives an impression of the former appearance of the burial mound.

The tomb is located northwest of Gnarrenburg and west of the district Brillit in the forest Hegebusch close to the municipal boundary to Basdahl. Apart from the GPS coordinates, a picture and the indication that at least four stones lying in a row, some deep in the earth, probably capstones would be recognizable, unfortunately there is no further information about this tomb on the German Wikipedia website. Therefore, I am not sure if I have really found the actual tomb, as the stones shown are located about 40m further north of the Wikipedia coordinates given on Wikipedia. In addition, the forest floor is now overgrown, so that the stones stand out only slightly from the vegetation.

To visit the site, you must have a GPS-device, as it lies in the woods and is not recognizable until you stand in front of it. Drive on the B74 from Kuhstedt north towards Brillit. Around 580 m after the forest ends on the left and right side, turn left into the Hegebuschstraße and continue until the road ends. Park here and wald straight on towards the forest on a field track. The tracks first make a zigzag (first left, then right and then again left). After another 450 m you reach a T-junction on a larger forest road, turn right here. Walk for about 200 m before you turn left into the woods, from here you must use the GPS device.

One warning: during my visit the grass on the field track was very high and I caught several ticks. So this is only for real enthusiasts and/or completists. Also a visit during winter might be the better choice.

Visited May 2019

The megaltihic tomb lies north of Gnarrenburg in a pine forest, not far from the forest road that leads from Gnarrenburg to the district Brillit. Already in 1893 the grave was considered considerably damaged. Later, two more larger stones were removed. The site, which was examined by Jürgen Deichmüller in 1968, was restored, but it was not possible to determine the type (passage grave or grand dolmen). The chamber is south-west-northeast orientated, the partly quite small support stones are still in situ. At the eastern end of the chamber is a capstone, but all other capstones are missing. At the western end the burial mound is still clearly visible.

Drive from Karlshöfen on the L122 towards Gnarrenburg. Just before you cross a railway line turn right into the road Barkhausen. Drive around 1.8 km before you turn left into the road “Am Kirchendamm”. Drive along this road for about 2.1 km, there is a very small parking lot and a forest track on the right side. During my visit, there was also a noticeable sign for the tomb. Park here and walk around 200 m along the forest track eastward, until you reach a beaten path leading in the wood on the left (also signed). The tomb is then only 50 m into the wood.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Remains of a megalithic tomb from the Neolithic

The burial chambers of large boulders were built in the Neolithic funnel beaker culture (about 2500 – 2000 BC). They probably served individual families as crypts or ossuaries.

Findings from the tombs such as flint axes, arrowheads and clay pots are interpreted as funerary objects. This burial chamber contained shards of at least 24 decorated clay pots. The occurrence of many potsherds next to the stone chambers, mainly on the south side in the passage and outside the hill, point to rituals of funerary worship or ancestor worship, which we can not explain yet.

Following the burials of the funnel beaker culture, as in many other stone graves, there were burials with grave goods of the younger single grave culture. They show that the descendants of the builders have adopted the material culture of an immigrant population, for whom individual graves under burial mounds are characteristic.

Ostereistedt is an approximately northeast-southwest-oriented megalithic tomb whose comparatively long and thereby narrow chamber originally had probably seven capstones. Only two of them have been preserved, both of them no longer in their original position. A capstone lies rolled on the northeastern end of the chamber, a second has fallen into the chamber. From the chamber are still four supporting stones of the northwest and five of the southeast long side and the northeast capstone preserved in situ. The entrance was in the middle of the southeastern long side. Around the chamber are some stones that are probably remnants of a destroyed enclosure.

The tomb is difficult to find, even with a GPS device. Drive on the L122 from Ostereistedt towards Rhadereistedt. Before you leave the village turn left in the Bahnhofstraße. Drive through Wennebostel and cross a railway line. I parked approximately 360 m after crossing the railway line (N53° 17’ 31.0” E9° 09’ 29.3”), where a forest track leads to the right. From here, the tomb is about 450m northwest as the crow flies. So first take this forest track for about 200 m, before reaching a slightly overgrown path that leads in a slight arc to the northwest. After about 300 m you should see the tomb in the wood.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Remains of a megalithic tomb from the Neolithic (approx. 2,250 BC)

Originally thick boulders lay as capstones over the burial chamber. A dry masonry of broken granite stones filled all the gaps. A layer of clay and mounds covered the grounds. On the south side a passage led into the tomb.

The stone tombs are tombs of the first peasant population. At the same time the cultivation of various cereals, other crops and livestock begins. Also larger stone axes were made, which enabled the felling of trees for large houses. Excavated floor plans of various post structures give us an idea of the type and size of the houses.

In the Steinalkenheide south of Badenstedt is a Bronze Age burial mound field with about 70 burial mounds, at the northern edge lies the heavily destroyed megalithic tomb Badenstedt (also known as Fürstengruft, Steinhaus or Hünenkeller). The site is oriented northeast-southwest and was already heavily destroyed in Sprockhoff’s recording in 1930. Six stones, including a capstone, were still present, but gave little information about the structure of the site. A capstone was removed in 1920 and used for a war memorial. The last official excavation in 1973 found that the grave had already been ransacked deeply, so that its original dimensions were difficult to estimate. It is believed that the chamber was 5.3 meters long and consisted of eight support stones and four capstones. At the time of the excavation were still 5 support stone and a capstone available. To make the tomb look more dignified, these stones were moved together and the capstone was put back on top. That means today’s condition does not reflect the original structure.

Nevertheless due to the atmosphere and surrounding a nice site to visit!

The tomb can be reached via the Badenstedter Straße between Badenstedt and Oldendorf. Turn right (south) into the road Zum Mühlenberg when you enter the village Oldendorf. After 600 m you come to a T-crossing, turn right here and drive on this road for about 2.5 km until you reach the Steinkalkheide and see the tomb on the right side.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Restored megalithic tomb

The oldest structure of this prehistoric burial ground is this stone grave. According to a report from 1841, the then already damaged burial chamber was called “Steinhaus” or “Hünenkeller”, around 1871 it was romantically called “Fürstenruft”.

Like all similar sites, the stone monument was used as a family crypt around 2500 before Christ birth.
All the gaps between the large boulders were wedged with rubble and leaked from the outside with clay. The whole burial chamber was hidden under a mound of earth. Neolithic burial objects have not survived here.

In the archaeological investigation in 1978, a capstone and 5 apart, partially damaged supporting stones were still present.
A capstone was already removed in 1920 and used as a war memorial.
The district of Rotenburg restored the site according to the excavation findings and the example of other stone tombs. The remaining stones were brought together in a new arrangement.

Steinfeld 1 is an approximately east-northeast west-southwest oriented chamber (5.2 x 1.9 m). It is surrounded by a round enclosure, which is rather unusual for this region. Only one support stone is missing, the rest are partly in situ. Three capstones lie on their support stones, one has fallen into the chamber. Formerly five stones could have covered the chamber. A small gap in the middle of a long side allowed access to the chamber.

The complex was reconstructed by repositioning overturned and displaced stones of the enclosure and adding the missing stones of the dry masonry between the stones. Only three stones of the enclosure were no longer available and had to be supplemented.

The only thing that bothers a bit is the nearby street, otherwise this is a great site to visit!

Drive from Steinfeld about 1 km northward on the L132 to Zeven. The tomb is located immediately to the right of the road under a group of trees. There is also a parking possibility right after the tomb on the right side of the road.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Megalithic tomb from the Neolithic

In the period of 2700-2000 BC the population of the so-called funnel beaker culture built stone tombs of huge boulders, but also burial mounds and wooden chamber graves. South of the Niederelbe, megalithic tombs did not originate earlier than 2500 BC.

Out of the burial chamber, a covered corridor led through the hill to the outside.

Here are bones and grave goods not preserved. Presumably each burial chamber contained several consecutive funerals. In other landscapes the megalithic tombs show clearly different burial rides. Finds from the Steinfeld grave are no longer available. The shape of the burial chamber indicates a late construction.

By reconstructing the damaged stones and reconstructing the intermediate masonry, the site was restored to nearer originality. Only three missing enclosure stones have been replaced.

The megalithic tombs at Steinfeld were several tombs of unknown number at Steinfeld (Bülstedt) in Lower Saxony. Today, there are only two tombs, they have the Sprockhoff numbers 649 and 650. Several other tombs, which lay between Steinfeld and Wilstedt were destroyed in the 18th or 19th century.

Steinfeld 2 is an approximately north-south-oriented chamber with three support stones on the east side, two on the west side, one stone on the narrow sides and originally three capstones. During Sprockhoff’s recording in 1930 a supporting stone on the east side was missing and the middle capstone had slipped, while the southern one was still in place. The tomb has been reconstructed, the middle capstone was put back in place.

To get to the tomb you drive from Nartum to Steinfeld. Immediately in front of the village entrance, the road makes a sharp left turn, here you drive straight on into a forest road and reached after about 100 meters a trail parking lot. From here, continue for about 350 m before the tomb, along with an information board, is on the left of the path.

Visited May 2019

taken from the on-site information board:

Megalithic tomb

From 2700 to 2000 BC the stone tombs served our oldest peasants as crypts.

The huge boulders were moved and lifted by a few people using lifting beams and rollers. Transportation was best on hard frozen ground.
The capstones are trimmed sideways so that they could form a closed ceiling. There were gaps between the side stones. From this it can be seen that first the capstones were placed on a mound or wooden scaffolding in the final position and the side stones were fitted individually underneath. For this purpose, the gaps between the supporting stones were required as a space for movement. All spaces and gaps were wedged with rubble and sealed with clay from the outside. The whole was arched over by a round mound.

Nartum is a grand dolmen with a northeast-southwest oriented chamber of originally around 5 m length. Three (of formerly four) supporting stones on each side and the southwestern end stone are preserved. All capstones, which were still present in the 19th century, are all missing. At the eastern end of the tomb is a beautiful oak that is believed to be more than 100 years old.

The tomb is located directly on the outskirts, about 150 m southwest of the cemetery of Natum on the so called Hünenkellerfeld plot. Drive on the Hauptstrasse in Nartum westward. Turn right into Raiffeisenstrasse just before you leave the village. After 150 m you reach the car park of the cemetry, park here. The access path to the tomb is signed on the left about 10 m before you reach the car park.

Visited May 2019

taken from the information board
Landkreis Rotenburg – Kreisarchäologie

The Hünenkeller
Remains of a megalithic grave
from the Neolithic (3000 – 2000 BC)

Megalith tombs served as burial vault in the recent Stone Age. The burial chambers were covered with large boulders. All the gaps between the boulders were wedged with broken granite boulders and all of it was grouted with mud and covered by a mound of earth. A 19th-century report describes that this site owned 4 capstones and 8 support stones. The stone chamber was surrounded by a layer of rectangular hills.
Compared to other megalithic tombs, one can imagine the site as reconstructed in the adjacent drawing.
In the so-called long Hunebeds (Hünenbetten) was always only a stone chamber. Excavations proved that in the remaining part of the hill were mostly traces of wooden chamberd graves, which were little older than the stone grave.
It is likely that the construction of the second and third (stone) burial chamber has expanded the hill. The foundling walls around the long Hunebed will be built with the most recent construction phase.

Scientific excavations have not yet taken place. From earlier improper excavations come Stone Age pottery shards with the typical for the younger Stone Age “Tiefstich” ornament”. The oak growing in the stone grave has germinated around the year 1910 here.

The princely tomb of Leubingen is the largest surviving Early Bronze Age princely tomb of the Aunitzitzer culture. It is located near Leubingen, a district of Sömmerda (Thuringia). The princely tombs of the Aunetitzer culture form a special type of graves, which stands out from the normal burials of this culture by huge, widely visible burial mounds with rich grave goods and which was the reason to call a whole culture as Leubing culture.

The mound lies east of the A71 motorway services Leubinger Fürstenhügel. From Leubingen take the (signed) Stödtener Strasse southeast. Around 300 m after you cross the A71, the mound lies right beside the road.

Visited April 2019

The megalithic tomb Langeneichstädt (also stone cist of Langeneichstädt) is a Neolithic grave of the type Middle German chamber (also called sunken chamber or gallery grave), a rather rare megalithic form in Germany. It was discovered in 1987 during fieldwork near the medieval Eichstädter Warte and became an outstanding megalithic object in Saxony-Anhalt.

The stone tomb (5.3 m long, 1.9 m wide and 1.7 m high) is dated 3,600 to 2,700 BC. As a capstone of the chamber, a 1.76-meter-tall menhir statue with a carved, highly stylized face was used, which is interpreted as representing a dolmen goddess (female deity). A replica of the menhir was erected at the burial chamber. The original is shown in the Halle State Museum of Prehistory.

The megaltithic tomb is together with the finding place of the Nebra sky disk, the circular ditch enclosures of Pömmelte and Gosek and the Halle State Museum of Prehistory a station on the tourist road Himmelswege (Celestial Pathways).

The tomb is located about 800 m north of Langeneichstädt and about 30 m northwest of the Eichstädter Warte and together with this on a hedged meadow area. Drive on the Friedenstraße (L177), right in the middle of Langeneichstädt take the Wartenweg northward. Drive on this road, cross a railway and after about 1.5 km turn left. Drive towards the Eichstädter Warte for about 350 m and you’ll find the car park for the site.

Visited April 2019

The Goseck circle (German: Sonnenobservatorium Goseck) is a Neolithic structure in Goseck in the Burgenlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Its construction is dated to approximately 4,900 BC, and it seems to have remained in use until about the 4,700 BC. It may thus be the oldest and best known of the circular enclosures associated with the Central European Neolithic.

The site consists of an approximately circular ring trench with a diameter of approx. 71 m. In the two palisades there are three access routes, which are aligned to the north, southwest and southeast. The gates of the inner palisade, about 49 m in diameter, are narrower than those of the outer palisade, which has a diameter of about 56 m.

The circular ditch enclosure is together with the finding place of the Nebra sky disk, the circular ditch enclosure of Pömmelte, the megalithic tomb Langeneichstädt and the Halle State Museum of Prehistory a station on the tourist road Himmelswege (Celestial Pathways).

The site is located on the northwest outskirts of Goseck, there is a car parking and an access path in the north of Gosek.

In the castle of Gosek there is an interesting exhibition on the Gosek circle and other circular ditch enclosures.

Visited April 2019