D43 is known as a long barrow and is the only one of its kind in the Netherlands. There are a few in Germany, near Wildeshausen to the south of Oldenburg and in Schleswig-Holstein. D43 has an almost complete set of 52 (restored) ringstones surrounding two tomb chambers under a 40-metre long covering mound. The grave to the north has three lintels on six uprights and two keystones; that to the south had five lintels but only two now remain. One of the ten uprights is also missing. Both graves still have two portal uprights. In contrast to the more usual east-west orientation of most hunebeds, this tomb lies north-south.
The long barrow can be found in Emmen to the west of the road to Odoorn and can be reached on foot via a 400 m. long sandy path. There is a small parking area by the road.
Location of D43
Visit of Professor van Giffen in 1918
Van Giffen noted three distinct parts to this fine long barrow: The large ring of stones, the small northern hunebed and the medium-sized southern hunebed. He described the almost complete ring of stones as rectangular with rounded corners and numbering 53 stones with the flat sides facing outwards. The northern chamber was almost complete with 3 lintels, 8 uprights and 2 portal stones, although 2 lintels lay outside the chamber. The southern tomb was incomplete and “in a dilapidated state”. 3 of the original 5 lintels were missing, as was 1 upright. Van Giffen made no mention of portal stones, although these are now present. The monument has been owned by the state since 1870.
(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
