Until 1982, this was the only known hunebed in the province of Groningen. Only one keystone, four uprights and two lintels remain. The most striking lintel is enormous – obviously far too large for the stone robbers! Van Giffen carefully marked with cement the position of the missing six uprights, the one keystone and the two portal stones, which gives a good impression of the original size. The hunebed probably had five lintels. In 1957 Prof. Van Giffen found the remains of some 150 pots.
Next to the hunebed stands a large stone which was possibly once part of the hunebed. Not so long ago this bore the bronze nameplate, but this has now disappeared.
The hunebed lies about 1 km to the west of the road from Zuidlaren to Glimmen, just over the provincial border with Drenthe, and can easily be reached by a dirt track.
Location of G1
Visit of Professor van Giffen in 1918
Taking into account its current state at the time, Van Giffen found this hunebed “in a very good condition”. Based on the extent of the traces of the covering mound which still remained, he estimated the size of the original hunebed as being at least twice as large. Later excavations enabled him to be more precise: a five lintel hunebed of 9.5 by 4.1 metres. This later research also showed the position of the portal stones. The boreholes he found in both lintels indicated attempts at deliberate damage.
(Source: Atlas of “De Hunebedden in Nederland”, dr.A.E.van Giffen, 1925)
For more information about this and other hunebeds in Drenthe and Groningen see
www.hunebedden.nl and www.hunebeddeninfo.nl
Text Hans Meijer
Translation Alun Harvey
Photos Davado
