Nucleus
The megalithic tombs at Lüdelsen are a group of six more or less preserved tombs near the village Lüdelsen in the Altmark region (Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt). Two more tombs were destroyed in the 19th century. There may have been a ninth tomb, whereupon the field name “am großen Stein” (at the large stone) could indicate.
The tombs at Lüdelsen form three groups. The first is in a wooded area north of the road to Stöckheim. This group describes a line that runs from east to west, about 200 m long and consists of Lüdelsen 1 to 5. About 2 kilometers after Stöckheim in the direction of Lüdelsen you turn right after the forest has started into a forest road. There is a parking lot.
Lüdelsen 6 (the so-called Königsgrab -> King’s Tomb) is located about 800 m further west. You drive from the parking lot at the graves Lüdelsen 1 to 5 in the direction of Lüdelsen. After about 650 meters there is a small “Großsteingrab” sign on the street. Turn right here and park the car.
South of the road, the now two destroyed tombs lay close to each other.
Visited March 2019
Archaeological-historical hiking trail Lüdelsen
stations:
1 – Parking
2 – Reconstructed megalithic tomb (Lüdelsen 3)
3 – Megalithic tomb (Lüdelsen 1)
4 – King’s grave (Lüdelsen 6)
5 – Church
6 – Watermill
7 – Landscape reconstruction
8 – Abandoned village Nieps
Visited March 2019
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 03/2019
When the giant Goliath was no longer able to endure it in his grave in the holy land, where he was teased there as a bigmouth, which had ultimately been defeated by a small shepherd boy, he decided to look for another resting place. At some point he came to Stöckheim, where he liked it quite well. He collected a few large stones, which he set up to fit his grave. He then went back to retrieve his tombstone and his golden coffin. He took the coffin under his arm, wrapped a golden chain around the big stone and tied it to his back. On its long way back, the chain was constantly rubbing itself deeper into the stone. That’s the reason for the rill, which is still visible on the stone today. Arrived in Stöckheim he put the big stone on the prepared support and lay down to rest under it. But he did not really get any rest either, because on every New Year’s Eve the giant Goliath climbs out of his golden coffin and scrapes three round holes in the stone, which are just as big as the wounds the shepherd boy David caused with his slingshot. The village has long held the opinion that the three holes formed on New Year’s Eve form the shape of a triangle and close again when new holes are formed next year.
Alfred Pohlmann: Sagen aus der Altmark. Stendal 1901
Stöckheim is a grand dolmen consisting of seven pairs of supporting stones and an enclosure. The current state of preservation is good, capstones partially collapsed, most enclosure stones are missing, two supporting stones are fallen over, two supporting stones are missing. Most of the enclosure stones were already missing in 1843 at the time of Danneil, according to his statements they were unusually small. The trapezoidal chamber is north-south orientated and 9.2 m long and 1.8 – 2.2 m wide.
The northern capstone, which is the largest surviving capstone of all megalithic tombs in the Altmark, is still in situ. It is 4.5 m long, 2.9 m wide, 0.8 m thick and weighs about 22 tons. At its southwest corner, it has a deep groove (referred sometimes as blood groove). In its surface over 80 cup marks were incorporated.
The tomb is located about 100 meters behind the village exit of Stöckheim in the direction of Lüdelsen, left of the road and easily accessible via a field path.
Visited March 2019
Wow – what a capstone...
Visited March 2019
Image credit: Uwe Häberle 03/2019
Many years ago a maid named Ilse served on a farm in Groß Bierstedt. Despite the pleadings of her mother, a poor widow, she was seduced by the farmer’s oldest son with the help of a false wedding vow. When the consequences became apparent, the farmers chased the girl out of the house. Ilse, however, was so desperate that she hanged herself. The farmer family buried her near a well and rolled three large stones on her grave. The farmer’s son was killed in the same night by an accident, Ilse, however, is said to have haunted for years as a ghost at the well.
A. Pohlmann: Sagen aus der Altmark. Stendal 1901
Bierstedt 1 is a grand dolmen consisting of three pairs of supporting stones and an enclosure. The current state of preservation is moderate, two supporting stones and two capstones are missing, one supporting stone is fallen over. Johann Friedrich Danneil was still able to find an enclosure (Hunebed) in 1843 with a length of 23.0 m and a width of 6.9 m, now all enclosure stones are missing. The rectangular chamber is west-east orientated and 4.6 m long and 1.6 m wide.
The tomb is located 750 m nortwest of Groß Bierstedt, take the field track signposted to Gielitz and follow it for about 250 meters towards the forest. The tomb is then clearly visible on the right, about 75 meters from the path.
Visited March 2019
The current state of preservation of Mehmke 3 is very bad, only a few enclosure and chamber stones are lying around in random order. So a classification is almost impossible. The chamber is oriented northeast-southwest. A total of 14 stones are preserved, including an upright support stone probably from the chamber. The remaining stones can not be matched.
The grave is located about 150m northeast of the megalithic tomb Mehmke 2 in the same field. During my visit, the surrounding trees were trimmed, so that in and around the tomb larger branches lay around, which were not transported away.
Visited March 2019
Mehmke 2 is a grand dolmen consisting of three pairs of supporting stones and probably a rectangular enclosure. The current state of preservation is moderate, a large part of the enclosure and chamber stones are missing, just the mound is clearly visible. The rectangular chamber is northeast-southwest orientated and 4m long and 1.4m wide.
During my visit, the surrounding trees were trimmed, so that in and around the tomb larger branches lay around, which were not transported away.
Visited March 2019
The megalithic tombs Mehmke 2 and Mehmke 3 are two preserved Neolithic tombs near Mehmke, a district of Diesdorf in the Altmark region (Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt). The field name “Steenkamp” points to a third, destroyed grave.
Both tombs are located in a field about 600m north east of the village center, left of the old freight road Braunschweig-Salzwedel, nowadays a paved field track.
Visited March 2019
Bornsen 2 is a grand dolmen consisting of four pairs of supporting stones. The current state of preservation is good, all supporting stones are still upright, two capstones have sunk into the chamber. The rectangular chamber is east-west orientated and 4.4m long and 1.1-1.2m wide. An enclosure is no longer visible. There are cupmarks on the western capstone.
The tomb is located on the eastern edge of Bornsen and can be reached via the road towards Wüllmersen. Just before you leave the village there is a yellow “Großsteingrab” sign on the right. Park here, pass the building on your right and walk southwest for about 140m to the tomb.
Visited March 2019
Bornsen 1 is probably a grand dolmen consisting of seven pairs of supporting stones and probably a rectangular enclosure. The current state of preservation is good, all supporting stones and capstones are completely preserved and almost in their original position. Whether an enclosure was present, is not recognizable. The chamber is west-southwest east-northeast orientated and 10.4m long and 1.5-1.8m wide. The three western supporting stones and capstones are significantly larger than the four eastern ones.
The tomb is on the road Bornsen – Jübar, about 200 meters behind the last houses of Bornsen on a hill to the right side. Since it is located about 200 meters away from the road in a field, you should visit the tomb only after harvesting or before sowing.
Visited March 2019
The megalithic tombs at Bornsen, a district of Jübar in Altmark Salzwedel (Saxony-Anhalt) are a group of originally five megalithic tombs. Of these, only two exist today. The remaining tombs were destroyed in the 19th century.
Bornsen 1 is located 900 m south of the center of Bornsen about 200 m east of the road to Jübar in a field. Bornsen 2 is located 550 m northeast of the center of Bornsen and 1.2 km northeast of Bornsen 1.
Visited March 2019
