Megalithic long barrowThe Copper Age
Venslev Marker
DatedEst. 3500–2800 BCE
No licensed photograph yetWe have no photograph we may publish for this site, so the interpretive 3D view leads instead.
Overview
About this site
Overview
Venslev Marker 13 is a megalithic long barrow of the Neolithic Northern Group of the Funnel Beaker culture, in Ferslev parish, Frederikssund Municipality, Denmark. It is a protected ancient monument and is dated by typological estimate to between 3500 and 2800 BCE.
The rectangular mound is oriented north-north-east to south-south-west and retains much of its stone kerb. The chamber is probably an Urdolmen and its capstone carries at least 13 cup marks.
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Where it sits in time
The site's dated range, placed against world reference points.
The scale is logarithmic: each step to the left is about ten times older than the last.
Article
Venslev Marker
The grave lies south of the woodland of Sømer Skov, in a field between Rendebækvej and Fjordvej.
SettingSources for this section
Sources for this section
The grave lies south of the woodland of Sømer Skov, in a field between Rendebækvej and Fjordvej. There are, or were, numerous other megalithic tombs in the immediate surroundings.
DescriptionSources for this section
Sources for this section
The mound is rectangular, and the reported dimensions differ slightly. The report of 1873 gives a length of 24 m and a width of 8.5 m; the report of 1942 gives a length of 26 m and a width of 10 m. Of the kerb, 18 stones survive on the east-south-east long side and 20 on the west-north-west long side, with three stones on each of the short sides.
The burial chamber lies 11 m from the north-north-east end, on the central axis of the mound, and is probably to be classed as an Urdolmen. It is oriented north-north-east to south-south-west and is of man's length; no exact measurements are available. It consists of three wall stones, of which the east-south-east stone has been excavated and now lies beside the chamber. A flat capstone rests on the two wall stones that remain in situ, and its upper surface bears at least 13 cup marks.
Research historySources for this section
Sources for this section
Staff of the National Museum of Denmark documented the site in 1873 and 1942. Drawings of the grave were made in 1874 and 1890, and a further documentation was carried out in 1989 by staff of the Forest and Nature Agency.
ContextSources for this section
Sources for this section
Monuments of this kind in Denmark and southern Sweden typically used stone in their construction. They belong to the Funnel Beaker culture, and the architecture of Scandinavia and northern Germany, known as Nordic megalith architecture, appeared mainly between 3500 and 2800 BCE.
Tradition and region
About this kind of monument
Northern European long barrows (langdysser)
Further north, the long barrow tradition took its own form. In Denmark and southern Sweden the long barrows typically used stone in their construction, and in the Netherlands and northern Germany they also used stone where it was available. The long barrows in parts of Poland are typically earthen rather than megalithic. They belong to the Funnel Beaker culture, and the architecture of Scandinavia and northern Germany, called Nordic megalith architecture, appeared mainly between 3500 and 2800 BCE.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern many dolmens lie inside a trapezoid frame of standing stones that the Germans call a Hünenbett, "giants' bed". Excavators there recognise the "unchambered long barrow" as a type of its own, along with simple dolmens, extended dolmens, passage graves and stone cists.
The purpose of early Neolithic long barrows is not known, though archaeologists can make suggestions based on recurring patterns. One argument is that they were religious sites, perhaps erected as part of a system of ancestor veneration; an alternative is that they were primarily economic or territorial markers.
Folklore: the German name Hünenbett, "giants' bed", reflects the old belief that giants lay in such graves. The barrows were in fact built by Neolithic farmers.
Dating relies on pottery and on radiocarbon dates from the few that have been excavated.
When visiting, look for the long outline of the mound, any kerbstones, and the chambers within it.
Paraphrased from Wikipedia: Long barrow, Wikipedia: Nordic megalith architecture, Wikipedia: Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Wikipedia: Funnel beaker culture · CC BY-SA 4.0
From the article
Dated moments in the story
- 1873
In den Jahren 1873 und 1942 führten Mitarbeiter des Dänischen Nationalmuseums Dokumentationen der Fundstelle durch.
Source - 1873
Der Bericht von 1873 nennt eine Länge von 24 m und eine Breite von 8,5 m.
Source - 1874
1874 und 1890 wurden Zeichnungen des Grabes angefertigt.
Source - 1942
Der Bericht von 1942 nennt eine Länge von 26 m und eine Breite von 10 m.
Source - 1989
Eine weitere Dokumentation erfolgte 1989 durch Mitarbeiter der Forst- und Naturbehörde.
Source
Lore
Evidence & Lore
What the sources actually support — and, kept apart, what has been claimed.
What the evidence supports
Dates
Est. 3500–2800 BCEHow this date was established: Type comparisonTypical range for megalithic long barrows in Denmark; this site has not been dated itself. Danish long barrows (langhoje) belong to the Nordic megalith tradition which emerged predominantly between 3500 and 2800 BC.Source for this date
Where it stands
Denmark
The pin marks the monument itself — its exact point.
- Coordinates
- 55°47′15″ N, 11°52′13″ EFor a GPS or map app: 55.78756, 11.87033
Access is as our sources describe it; we have not visited the site to check.
Nearby
The closest sites in the Atlas, by straight line.
- Passage tomb (passage grave)Maredys3500–2800 BCE
- Megalithic mound (tumulus with integral stones)Fagerhøjgård3500–500 BCE
- Passage tomb (passage grave)Orkenspends Dys3500–2800 BCE
- Megalithic mound (tumulus with integral stones)Gåsebakkerne3500–500 BCE
- Megalithic mound (tumulus with integral stones)Gåsebakkerne3500–500 BCE
- Passage tomb (passage grave)Venslev Marker3500–2800 BCE
- Megalithic mound (tumulus with integral stones)Sømme Skov3500–500 BCE
- Megalithic long barrowFagerhøjgård3500–2800 BCE
Sources
Every record behind this page, with the link it came from.
2 sources behind this page
- 01Wikidata Q30146863wikidata.org
- 02Source for this dateen.wikipedia.org
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Around this place
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Credit
Text, licence and sources
Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Großsteingrab Venslev Marker 13" (German), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; authors are listed in the page history. Reused under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikipedia · Edit history and authors