D36 is one of the pair of hunebeds known as the, “The Valthe Twins”, which stand a few metres apart from each other on the southern edge of the village of Valthe. The sandy path leading to them from the village is not easy to find but there is a signpost. They stand on a large open site with some fine trees, some of which seem to have grown alongside the hunebeds. The graves are in a damaged condition: D36 has only four lintels of which three have slipped and one is missing. D37 is a complete mess – two lintels lie on the ground and three are missing.
Location of D36
Visit of Professor van Giffen in 1918
This is the western hunebed of the Valthe Twins. “In a severely damaged state”, wrote Van Giffen. The original condition was still recognisable because of the 2 keystones which were still in place. Some remains of the covering mound could also be recognised. Four of the original five 5 lintels remain. The first lintel appears to be in place, a piece of number 2 has broken off and the drill holes can still be seen on both parts. Lintels 3 and 5 have slipped into the chamber and number four is missing. Van Giffen also found one portal stone. The three largest trees on the photo are still standing. The hunebed is owned by the Province.
(Source: Atlas of “De Hunebedden in Nederland”, dr.A.E.van Giffen, 1925)
For more information about this and other hunebeds in Drenthe see
www.hunebedden.nl and www.hunebeddeninfo.nl
Text Hans Meijer
Translation Alun Harvey
Photography Hans Meijer and Davado
