Nucleus
Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands,
Teil 2: Mecklenburg – Brandenburg – Pommern (1967)
Image credit: Ernst Sprockhoff
The megalithic tombs near Burtevitz (also known as megalithic tombs near Preetz) were originally probably 23 megalithic tombs of the Neolithic Funnel Beaker Culture in the vicinity of Burtevitz, a district of the municipality of Lancken-Granitz in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Only four of these still exist today. All of the tombs are grand dolmens.
Please note that my numbering scheme follows the numbering on the German Wikipedia page, which is based on Ewald Schludt’s numbering.
Sprockhoff / Schuldt / Beier
Preetz 1 (507) / Burtevitz 2 / Burtevitz 3
Preetz 2 (506) / Burtevitz 1 / Burtevitz 2
Preetz 3 (505) / Burtevitz 4 / Burtevitz 1
----------------- / Burtevitz 3 / Burtevitz 4
Visited June 2021
Southwest of Lancken-Granitz lies a group of 7 megalithic tombs, 4 of which belong to Lancken-Granitz, three to Burtevitz. They can be easily reached via the road leading southwest out of Lancken-Granitz. A sign points to the tombs. Lancken-Granitz 1 to 3 lie in a line running almost east-west, Lancken-Granitz 4 lies about 70 m south-west of this group of three.
Lancken-Granitz 4 is an extended dolmen with three yokes. All support stones are preserved. One capstone lies on top, a second one has slipped into the chamber. The third capstone is missing. The southern narrow side is half closed by a support stone, next to it is the entrance to the chamber. The north-south oriented burial chamber is 3.5 m long and 1.8 m wide. Its height is 1.4 m at the north end and 1.1 m at the south end.
Visited June 2021
Southwest of Lancken-Granitz lies a group of 7 megalithic tombs, 4 of which belong to Lancken-Granitz, three to Burtevitz. They can be easily reached via the road leading southwest out of Lancken-Granitz. A sign points to the tombs. Lancken-Granitz 1 to 3 lie in a line running almost east-west, Lancken-Granitz 4 is about 70 m south-west of this group of three.
Lancken-Granitz 3, the middle of the group of three, is an extended dolmen oriented in a northwest-southeast direction. The burial chamber is 3.6 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1.3 m high. There are three supporting stones on each of the long sides. The north-western end stone of the narrow side is in situ. A small stone is present on the south-western side, perhaps a doorstep stone. A capstone lies on top, a stone lying in front of the tomb could be a second capstone.
Visited June 2021
Southwest of Lancken-Granitz lies a group of 7 megalithic tombs, 4 of which belong to Lancken-Granitz, three to Burtevitz. They can be easily reached via the road leading southwest out of Lancken-Granitz. A sign points to the tombs. Lancken-Granitz 1 to 3 lie in a line running almost east-west, Lancken-Granitz 4 is about 70 m south-west of this group of three.
Lancken-Granitz 2, the easternmost tomb of the group of three, is the largest and relatively well preserved. It has an east-west oriented, slightly trapezoidal long barrow with a length of 30 m, built on a mound that slopes steeply towards the north. The enclosure originally consisted of 25 stones, 14 of which are still preserved. The long sides of the long barrow are clearly visible, although some stones are missing or somewhat displaced.
The chamber of the grand dolmen lies at the western end of the enclosure and is transverse to it, i.e. oriented north-south. It is 4.5 m long, 2.3 m wide and 1.6 m high. It has three pairs of wall stones on the long sides and a cap stone on the northern narrow side. Of the original three capstones, only the northern and the middle one have survived.
Visited June 2021
Probably a remaining guardian stone, 2.5 m high
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 06/2021
Southwest of Lancken-Granitz lies a group of 7 megalithic tombs, 4 of which belong to Lancken-Granitz, three to Burtevitz. They can be easily reached via the road leading southwest out of Lancken-Granitz. A sign points to the tombs. Lancken-Granitz 1 to 3 lie in a line running almost east-west, Lancken-Granitz 4 is about 70 m south-west of this group of three.
Lancken-Granitz 1, the westernmost of the group of three, is a east-west oriented long barrow with a transverse lying burial chamber. The chamber is 4.5 m long, 2.2 m wide and 1.5 m high. The long barrow has been destroyed, but its extent is still clearly visible. A large stone at the eastern end is probably a guardian stone. The chamber lies in the western part of the long barrow. It is a three-yoke, completely preserved chamber, apparently an extended dolmen. All three capstones lie on their supporting stones, although some of them have slipped into the chamber. The stones already show drill holes in preparation for blasting. The stones of the chamber are partly overgrown by large trees.
Visited June 2021
Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands,
Teil 2: Mecklenburg – Brandenburg – Pommern (1967)
Image credit: Ernst Sprockhoff
Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands,
Teil 2: Mecklenburg – Brandenburg – Pommern (1967)
Image credit: Ernst Sprockhoff
Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands,
Teil 2: Mecklenburg – Brandenburg – Pommern (1967)
Image credit: Ernst Sprockhoff
Remaining stones from the northern enclosure
Visited June 2021
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 06/2021
Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands,
Teil 2: Mecklenburg – Brandenburg – Pommern (1967)
Image credit: Ernst Sprockhoff
Site description on wikipedia
Southwest of Lancken-Granitz, Lancken-Granitz 1-4 (originally 8 graves), Burtevitz 1,3 and 4 (originally 23 graves) are a total of 7 preserved megalithic tombs lined up in a southwesterly direction, like a string of pearls over a distance of about 400m. If one adds the two megalithic tombs Dummertevitz 1 (also known as Ziegensteine) and 2 (originally 11 tombs), this collection is probably one of the largest former necropolises on Rügen.
Please note that my numbering scheme follows the numbering on the German Wikipedia page, which is based on Ewald Schludt’s numbering.
Sprockhoff / Schuldt / Beier
Lancken 1 (504) / Lancken-Granitz 2 / Lancken-Granitz 4
Lancken 2 (503) / Lancken-Granitz 3 / Lancken-Granitz 3
Lancken 3 (502) / Lancken-Granitz 1 / Lancken-Granitz 2
Lancken 4 (501) / Lancken-Granitz 4 / Lancken-Granitz 1
Visited June 2021
The discovery of a dismantled stone circle—close to Stonehenge’s bluestone quarries in west Wales—raises the possibility that a 900-year-old legend about Stonehenge being built from an earlier stone circle contains a grain of truth. Radiocarbon and OSL dating of Waun Mawn indicate construction c. 3000 BC, shortly before the initial construction of Stonehenge. The identical diameters of Waun Mawn and the enclosing ditch of Stonehenge, and their orientations on the midsummer solstice sunrise, suggest that at least part of the Waun Mawn circle was brought from west Wales to Salisbury Plain. This interpretation complements recent isotope work that supports a hypothesis of migration of both people and animals from Wales to Stonehenge.
Prof. Mike Parker Pearson @ Waun Mawn
Waun Mawn: a former stone circle near the bluestone quarries for Stonehenge by Prof. Mike Parker Pearson (in English).
In 2017 and 2018 the Stones of Stonehenge Project, led by researchers from University College London and the universities of Southampton, Bournemouth and the Highlands & Islands, carried out excavations at Waun Mawn in North Pembrokeshire to discover if the four monoliths there are all that is left of a prehistoric stone circle. These four monoliths – three of them recumbent and one still standing – form an arc which previous archaeologists have suspected may be remains of a circle. Our excavations discovered a further six empty sockets around the perimeter, revealing that this stone circle was originally 110m in diameter. This makes it one of the largest stone circles in Britain and the same diameter as the ditch around Stonehenge. The team have also been able to establish its age by radiocarbon dating and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) profiling and dating.
The start of a trail with seven megalithic tombs (with the two Dummertevitz tombs even nine) lined up like a string of pearls.
Visited June 2021
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 06/2021
Altensien aka Goldbusch is a grand dolmen oriented in a northeast-southwest direction. According to the information board it is the last of formerly 43 tombs between Altensien and Seedorf.
The site was badly damaged. It was excavated and restored in 1969 by E. Schuldt. It has three supporting stones on each long side. The end stones are also preserved. The entrance consisted of two sandstone slabs. One of the original two capstones has sunk halfway into the chamber, the second is missing. The capstone has numerous cup marks.
To get to the tomb, drive on the B196 from Lancken-Granitz to Sellin and Göhren, turn right towards Altensien and Moritzdorf. Drive through Altensien in the direction of Moritzdorf and after about 1 km immediately east of the narrow road, close to Selliner See, you will find the signed megalitic tomb on the left on a small hill.
Visited June 2021
The site description of the Holy Places information board
Visited June 2021
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 06/2021
The second information board
Visited June 2021
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 06/2021