Is this the Hallebrøndshøj? This passage grave whispers tales from between 3500 and 2800 BC. Its builders belonged to the Funnelbeaker culture. These people were denizens of the late Stone Age. Passage graves like Hallebrøndshøj consist of a chamber. A separate lateral passage leads into it. This design is primarily found in Denmark. It also appears in Germany and Scandinavia. Rare examples exist in France and the Netherlands.
Hallebrøndshøj features a mound about 15 meters in diameter. The passage is slightly trapezoidal. Usually, the trapezoid shape appears in the chambers. The passage consists of eleven support stones. It once had three capstones. One remains in place. Another has fallen into the chamber. The chamber itself is oriented north-south. It is 4.2 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and 1.7 meters high. A single large capstone sits above the short eastern passage. This capstone features cup marks.
The Hallebrøndshøj was excavated in the 1880s. Teacher J. A. Jorgensen of Ibsker led this excavation. Jorgensen later provided a detailed report. This dig was private. Such digs were common in 19th-century Denmark. Today, they are illegal.
Earlier explorations occurred in the 1820s. Objects were presented to the Oldsagskommission. Christian Jürgensen Thomsen led this commission. Finds included fragments of amber beads. Flint objects also surfaced. Jorgensen later confirmed that not all objects were initially found. She discovered fragments of about 200 amber beads. Some were double-axe shaped. Besides amber, she found several flint axes. A slate pendant appeared, and several vessels were unearthed. The largest vessel was a hanging pot. Holes at its top identified it. Fragments of decorated pottery were also recovered.
Unlike other Stone Age sites, Hallebrøndshøj lacked unburned bones. Instead, a small amount of cremated remains was found. Later Bronze Age interments sometimes occur in these sites. Coins found in the mound in the 1820s are not ancient. Six German medieval coins are now in the National Museum. Hallebrøndshøj underwent restoration in 1891 and 1994.
Hallebrøndshøj is near an area of archaeological significance. This region was a power and trade center in the early centuries AD. Guldgubber from Sorte Muld mark it. These gold figures are Iron Age creations. The Sillehøj passage grave is about five kilometers away from Hallebrøndshøj.
From inside the passage grave, observers can witness the sunrise. This happens over Hallebrændsklippen on November 2nd and 3rd. The cliff features weathered cup marks. These marks might date back to the Stone Age. At the cliff’s base, Hallebrønd spring flows. This spring likely served as a sacred source for rituals at the passage grave. Remember the teacher Jørgensen from Ibsker. The teacher found approximately 200 amber beads here. Many were club-shaped or hourglass-shaped. Four polished flint axes surfaced. About ten flint flakes were located. Also a slate pendant and two clay vessels were excavated. These finds are on display at the Bornholm Museum in Rønne.
Take a moment to appreciate the seamless blend of nature and history here at Hallebrøndshøj. Consider the skilled people who raised these stones. Think about the rituals that once unfolded here.