The largest hunebed in the Netherlands has never had an exhibition of its own. Strange, when you consider that D27 in Borger is one of the most visited hunebeds in the country. Now, from 1 November until the end of December, the Hunebed Centre is holding an exhibition about this remarkable colossal hunebed.
The largest hunebed in the Netherlands plays an important part in the history lessons which children learn in our schools. It is the first subject to be dealt with, which means that almost everyone in the Netherlands is familiar with this hunebed. It has often been portrayed, not only because it is the largest but also because it is a beautiful example. That is why this hunebed has been described as the Rembrandt of prehistory.
The hunebed has a long history but much of it is veiled in mystery. That is because – apart from a few small attempts – it has never been fully excavated. So any objects it contains still lie hidden within it. A few years ago a scan was made of the interior and this clearly showed that the hunebed contains all kinds of things. Probably many pieces of pottery and flint objects but also perhaps cremated human remains.
The hunebed has been visited for thousands of years by curious people, from hunebed builders to traders during the Iron Age, from archaeologists to treasure seekers, from Canadian Indians to tourists, and from members of the royal family to shamans. All in all D27 is a hunebed with many splendid stories.
The exhibition can be seen from 1 November until the end of December in the Hunebed Centre in Borger.
