Nucleus

D43 Emmen Schimmeres is a must see site, as it is the only long grave in The Netherlands. Normally long graves are more in common in Denmark and Germany, and indeed the Hunebed is more similar e.g. to Visbeker Bräutigam 3, Visbeker Braut and Glaner Braut 2 near Wildeshausen as to any other dutch Hunebed.

The long grave is 40.3 meters long and 6.8 meters wide, inside the 53 enclosing stones there are two burial chambers. The entrance to the northern burial chamber (4.6 x 3.0m) lay to the east, the entrance to the southern burial chamber (8.1 x 2.9m) lay to the west. The northern burial chamber originally had three capstones and six supporting stones, the southern burial chamber had five capstones and ten supporting stones.

Unfortunately, the Hunebed is currently heavily overgrown in some sections, but nevertheless a great place to visit.

Visited July 2018

D41 Emmen-N lies right beside the road to Oddorn. It is a nice little and notably flat Hunebed, even the capstones are flat. It is the last discovered hunebed in Drenthe. It is a relatively complete preserved with four capstones, two endstones and eight supporting stones.

Due to the proximity of the road and the housing estates the atmosphere is a little bit disturbed.

Visited July 2018

300m after the roundabout on the road to Odoorn, right after the town sign of Emmen, look for the Hunebed sight and turn right into a sandy track. After about 200m you will reach a gate, where you can park your car. From here it is a 10min walk (700m) to these trio of Hunebeds. Beside the Hunebed trio in Bronneger (D23 Bronneger, D24 Bronneger and D25 Bronneger), this is the only other Hunebed trio in The Netherlands.

D40 Emmerveld-ZO is the most impressive one of the trio, especially the two huge capstones are really awesome. From certain angles, it appear as only one capstone, which is broken in two pieces. D39 Emmerveld-ZW is interesting, because it it still buried mainly in its mound. Unfortunately there are not many stones left. D38 Emmerveld-N consists of only two remaining capstones of original five.

Overall not the best Hunebeds of Drenthe, but they are located in a splendid beautiful heathland clearing, which alone justifies a visit!

Visited July 2018

This is one of the larger (16.8 x 4.5 m), but also one of the lesser known dolmens of Drenthe. Originally it had 9 capstones, 4 of which are left over. Also 7 supporting stones and an endstone have disappeared. The terrain where it is, was called the ‘Stien Camp’ – the Stone field.

The Hunebed is special because the entrance was once formed by a corridor of twice three stones facing each other. Such a long ‘corridor’ has no other Hunebed; nothing can be seen anymore.

There is an impressive oak tree that rises from the middle of the Hunebed.

Visited July 2018

On the road (Melkweg) between Klijndijk and Valthe, about 300m behind Klijndijk is a car park on the right side. From here it is just a 250m walk to D35 Valthe.

There is not much to see on this Hunebed, only two of once five capstones have survived and the supporting stone are looking only very little out of the mound.

But the place where it is is very special. The Hunebed lies north of ‘pingo ruin’ (a glacial hollow), a large circular layer, which was once a lake or a swamp. So the builders of the Hunebed have chosen this place deliberately.

Visited July 2018

About 300m after the town sign of Odoom on the road to Borger you will find on the right a Hunebed sign, on the left a boulder marking the field track to the Hunebed. Just behind the Hunebed sign is a small paved area, which can be used as a parking space. From here is it just 250m to walk to the Hunebed.

D32 Odoorn is called a ‘low’ Hunebed, as the supporting and end stones are still buried half in the ground. The Hunebed is no longer complete: one capstone and three of the ten supporting stones are missing.

Near the Hunebed were once four other Hunebeds (now disappeared): D32a, D32b, D32c and D32d. It is said that the church of Odoorn is made up of stones from these Hunebeds.

Visited July 2018