Great stone graves of Aldersro
The megalithic graves at Aldersro, east of Kalundborg on the Danish island of Zealand , were re-examined in 1993. Not far from the double-aisle grave ( Danish dobbeltjættestue ) Onshøj von Kærby are the megalithic complexes of Aldersro between Værslev and Kærby . Langmosevej Street has been cutting the mounds of passage graves since ancient times. There was a discussion about whether they were originally two separate hills or one common hill. In 1993, thanks to the partially preserved curb ring, it was found that there were originally two very closely spaced, separate hills. The large stone grave dates from the Neolithic around 3500–2800 BC. Chr. And is a megalithic system of the funnel beaker culture (TBK) and is a form of Neolithic megalithic systems, which consists of a chamber and a structurally separated, lateral passage . This form is primarily found in Denmark, Germany and Scandinavia, as well as occasionally in France and the Netherlands.
shape
The western plant
The entrance , of which all seven bearing stones and two of the at least three cap stones have been preserved, leads into a polygonal chamber with all eight bearing stones and one of the two cap stones. The small passage grave resembles a polygonal pole .
The double-aisle grave
The larger of the two structures, which form a double-aisle grave, has a sloping passage. Its ten bearing stones, two of which also belong to the door construction, and one of the cap stones of the corridor have been preserved. The chamber made of 13 supporting stones (one is also part of the smaller chamber) and two of its three cap stones have been preserved.
The smaller chamber of the double complex has a shorter corridor, of which all the supporting stones, but none of the presumably two cap stones, have been preserved. The chamber made of ten bearing stones (one is also part of the larger chamber) and three of the four cap stones that were once preserved have been preserved.
The eastern plant
The eastern complex is only rudimentary, but has still retained a number of curbs from the hillside.
Excavation history
In 1880 some axes, chisels and flint chips were found among other things . A multi-year restoration began in the 1980s. During the investigations by the Danish National Museum in 1937 and 1941, some cap stones were lifted from the chambers and placed on the surface for safety reasons. Part of the work in 1993 was to put them back safely in their original places. During the renovation work in 1993 it became clear that the facilities were more special than expected and that the investigation would take longer than originally planned.
Finds in the chamber
A number of undisturbed grave complexes with bones and grave goods were found. If the decision had been made not to excavate, the facility would have had to be covered and a local attraction would have been hidden. The surprise about the find was particularly great, as the complex had been examined several times in the 18th and 19th centuries.
During the excavation of the western chamber, it was found that several layers from different epochs of the Neolithic existed. Among the bones there were also amber beads , fragments of pottery, and objects made of flint. The results of the investigations showed that the system remained unused for a while after the first period of use (bottom layer). The bone layer of the first buried (presumably the carrier of the TBK) was later covered with large floor slabs (piously). This new floor layer was still used during the Neolithic period for two separate deposits (probably by the cord ceramicist ).
Finds in the corridor
In addition to those in the passage grave, bones were found in the passage. Here was an almost 40 cm thick layer of burned flint, skeleton parts and large stone slabs, the latter probably also being part of the secondary flooring. In the corridor lay a person who only lay with his feet in the burial chamber. Presumably this is a last burial from the Neolithic Age. A similar case is known from Møllehøj in Hornsherred . The study showed that the activities around some megalithic tombs were sporadic.
In addition to human bones, a number of animal bones have been found. Of the total bones, 7% are bones and teeth from animals, mainly sheep and goats. Presumably these are grave goods, as only certain parts such as pine made it into the large stone grave.
Nordic Bronze Age
The mound was eroded during the Bronze Age - perhaps still in the Neolithic Age - and the capstones were partially exposed (so they were completely covered than ever). This can be seen, among other things, from the numerous bowls on the top of the capstones, which are usually dated to the Bronze Age. Like many other stone graves, those of Aldersro were reused in the early Bronze Age .
A grave from the Early Bronze Age with grave goods was another special feature that was discovered during the renovation work. A decorated spearhead and half of a belt hook (both made of bronze), a fragment of a belemnite and seven undecorated pottery shards that determined the dating of the tomb were recovered. One of the details that the investigation revealed was a concentration of bone in a chamber, which revealed that skeletal parts may originally have been wrapped in a cloth.
See also
literature
- Ingrid Falktoft Anderson: Vejviser til Danmarks oldtid . 1994, ISBN 87-89531-10-8 , p. 245
Web links
- Description (Danish) and pictures
- Olshoj - description (Danish) and pictures
- Description (Danish) and picture
Coordinates: 55 ° 39 ′ 12.9 " N , 11 ° 11 ′ 37.7" E