Houdorf

The Vester Aaby Burial Mound and Dolmen, identified as locality 090427-8 on `kulturarv.dk`, is a significant Stone Age monument. This round barrow (rundhøj), and its accompanying dolmen or passage grave, is dated to the Stone Age, specifically between 3950 and 2800 BC.

The structure consists of a round barrow measuring approximately 1.2-1.3 x 11 meters, which encompasses a dolmen chamber. This chamber is notably oriented ENE-WSW. Its construction includes five support stones (bæresten) and a gable stone (gavlsten), with two smaller ‘frame stones’ and two heavy support stones on each long side. While various descriptions of its stones exist, there is no capstone (dæksten) present. The internal dimensions of the chamber are recorded as 2.6 x 1.0 meters. Possible curbstones have been observed along the foot of the mound.

Historically, the monument was often heavily overgrown with scrub and various trees. A significant restoration effort took place in 1984, during which the dolmen was cleared of scrub, and the floor of its burial chamber was cleaned. This important ancient site has been protected since before 1937, with its condition regularly monitored through periodic supervisions, most recently in 2019.

The location, referred to as Bjørnemose, is situated in Svendborg Municipality. The administrative responsibility falls under Arkæologi Sydfyn.

The archaeological feature found at this location is a cup mark stone (Skåltegnssten), which is classified as having cup marks (Skåltegn) dating to the Bronze Age. Specifically, the dating spans from 1700 to 500 BC.

The stone was discovered in 1983. The finding occurred during the restoration of a dike (dige). The stone has approximately 60 cup marks.

The investigation history in 1983 included diverse case processing handled by the Nationalmuseet, Danske Afd., Danmarks Oldtid, as well as museal inspection and construction/installation work (Byggeri og anlæg) carried out by Svendborg Museum.

The cup mark stone is currently a component of a stone dike (stendige) that extends southeast of the Æbleskivestenen in Svendborg. It is believed that this specific cup mark stone originally stood together with the Æbleskivestenen and several other cup mark stones that have since vanished.

To locate the cup mark stone, one can walk along the stone dike. Observing the cup marks may be enhanced by shining a light diagonally onto the stone.

Den store langdysse is located in Pipstorn Skov (Pipstorn forest) within the Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality. It is administratively protected, having been designated as protected before 1937 (Fredet før 1937). The responsible museum for the area is Arkæologi Sydfyn. Routine periodic surveillance of the protected locality has been conducted by Museum Odense in recent years (2009, 2021).

The monument is dated to the Stone Age, specifically between 3950 and 2800 BC. It is also described as being built some 5000 to 6000 years ago in the early Neolithic.

The monument is an impressive long dolmen (langdysse). It measures approximately 0.8–1.0 m high, 9–10 m wide, and 35–36 m long, oriented northwest-southeast (NV-SØ). After restoration, dimensions were recorded as 1.7 m x 33.0 m x 9.0 m.

The barrow features an imposing chain of re-erected kerbstones, which originally were described as being very large, with many having been overturned or possibly fractured before restoration. The monument is currently accessible via a marked path and has an informative sign.

The long barrow contains three rectangular burial chambers, all of which lack capstones (dæksten/overligger).

The three chambers are characterized as follows:

Two older chambers: These are rectangular, quite narrow, and aligned along the direction of the mound. They are believed to represent the oldest types of dolmen chambers. The northwestern (NV) and middle chambers follow this orientation (NV-SØ).

One younger chamber: This chamber is also rectangular but slightly larger and lies across the mound (NØ-SV orientation).

The chambers were originally constructed for a single person, possibly a chieftain of one or more settlements, but were nearly always reused multiple times.

The monument has a history of documentation, including museum surveys (Museal berejsning) starting in 1878 and continuing in 1886 and 1947. It underwent registration (Tinglysning) in 1886 and 1948.

The long barrow was beautifully restored in 1954 by Fyn Stiftmuseum. During this restoration, stones that had moved or turned over were erected and aligned. Although some soil is still lacking around the chambers, the dolmen is now “almost as it was when built”.

Regarding artifacts:

Grave Finds: There are no known grave finds from the cairn.
Local Legend: Local accounts suggest that King Frederik the 7th excavated the chambers, but no written record confirms this.
Restoration Finds: During the restoration process, two flint axes and two flint chisels were discovered by the kerbstones outside the cairn. These items represent sacrifices that were part of the death cult during the passage-grave era (3200–2800 BC). The presence of these axes indicates that the cairn was in use for a long period of time.

The monument is considered noteworthy and instructive, particularly due to its relationship with the other ancient monuments found in Pipstorn.

The locality in Folehave Skov is an ancient burial complex dating from 3950 – 500 BC, consisting of several stone-built graves, specifically stone cists. The site has a long and documented history of both degradation and preservation efforts.

Historically, the site has suffered significant damage. Around 1888, at least three stone cists were destroyed during the construction of a railway line, an action initiated by the local forester. A 1918 survey by the National Museum of Denmark documented this destruction, noting that the main cist (designated 2a) was missing its capstone and one of its side stones had collapsed inward.

Administratively, the site transitioned from unprotected to a protected national monument.
It was officially granted protected status (“Fredet”) in 1937 or later. This led to increased oversight by the National Museum. In 1942, the landowner, Count Ahlefeldt Laurvig Lehn, expressed a wish to restore the damaged graves, but a 1943 museum inspection concluded there was no basis for a restoration. The site was formally registered (“Tinglysning”) in 1947. In the same year, a mapping error was identified and corrected. The site is currently located in Svendborg municipality, with Arkæologi Sydfyn as the responsible museum.

The physical condition of the site has varied over time. By 1983, a survey by the Forest and Nature Agency found the mound containing the graves to be heavily damaged by uprooted trees, which had obscured or erased the remains of monument 2b. The area was also overgrown with dense bramble and young maple trees, making it difficult to find monument 2c. The 1983 report strongly recommended clearing the vegetation to better preserve the site and potentially uncover more graves, as the entire area is covered with stones.

Currently, the site is a place of both historical interest and recreation. The main surviving structure is described as a well-preserved gallery grave located on a ridge. The forest is also a popular area for mountain biking. A 2016 inspection by Museum Odense confirmed that the ancient monument was found “as described”. Recent maintenance has included the removal of weeds from in and around the stone cist.

This cist (hellekiste) from Højmøllegård is a 4,000-year-old stone burial chest, dating back to the late Neolithic. It was discovered in 1974 at Højmøllegård in Denmark, near the main A9 road, originally covered by a low mound, typical for ancient burials. During excavation, archaeologists discovered skeletal remains along with grave goods from two completely different burial periods. These included a Neolithic battle axe and an early Bronze Age flint dagger, potentially hundreds of years later. This suggests the reuse and continuity of a sacred space over generations or even centuries, challenging the notion of a grave as a single, sealed event.

The cist is constructed from eight large stone slabs and two threshold stones, lightly dug into the ground for stability. The stones covering the coffin have long since been removed.

After its excavation and initial reconstruction on site, the cist has since been moved to Tåsinge Museum, where it is now situated on a lawn between the museum buildings.

The site in Pipstorn Skov falls under the administrative responsibility of Arkæologi Sydfyn within the Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality. The structures are classified as a Long Barrow (Langhøj) and a Dolmen or Passage Grave (Dysse eller Jættestue), both dated to the Stone Age (3950 – 2800 B.C.). The locality has been protected (Fredet) since 1937 or later, with documentation dating back to 1886 and boundary marking in 1893 and 1948.

The primary archaeological feature described is a configuration of three joined long dolmens (Langdysser) oriented East-West (Ø-V).

Northern Dolmen: Features the lintel (overliggeren) of 2 chambers.

Middle Dolmen: Contains 3 chambers, all oriented North-South (N-S):
The westernmost chamber has 1 stone at each end and 1 stone toward the West, 2 on the other side, but lacks a capstone.
The middle chamber has 1 stone at the ends and on each side (possibly 2 in the West), and a small, somewhat displaced capstone that is partially overgrown by a mighty beech tree.
The third, easternmost chamber** is polygonal, constructed of 7 stones (2 in the West, 2 in the North, 2 in the East, and 1 in the South, where the chamber has its opening); it features an overturned capstone.

Southern Dolmen: Features 1 chamber oriented SSW-NNW, which is open toward the SSW. It is built of 3 stones and has a heavy, somewhat displaced capstone.

The Southern Dolmen measures approximately 1–1.2 x 7 x 16 meters.
It has 2–3 boundary stones (Randsten) toward the East, 12 toward the South, and 15 toward the North.
The Northern and Middle Dolmens together measure approximately 1–1.2 x 17 x 25 meters.
They share boundary stones with the Southern Dolmen toward the South, and appear to have 4–5 boundary stones toward the East and 8–9 toward the North.

Additionally, there are about 30 stones in an outer row and 11–12 stones in an inner row near the foot of the structure toward the West. These stones are likely a stone fence separating the Katterød and Diernisse land ownership areas, and were probably constructed using boundary stones removed from the site.

The site is described as overgrown with scattered large beech trees, beech scrub, and grass. In 1947, recommendations were made to place the lintel back in position, remove the large tree growing in one of the chambers, clear the beech scrub, and potentially expose the boundary stones.

The site has a history of documentation and investigation:
1886: Museal graphic or digital documentation and field survey by the National Museum.
1947: Museal field survey by the National Museum.
1953 & 2000: Museal restoration efforts occurred. The 2000 restoration was undertaken following the December 1999 storm.
2012: Periodical supervision of the protected locality was conducted by Museum Odense, confirming the ancient monument was found as described.