Nucleus

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.