Artigenda
Dutch Day of the Dolmen
When: Annually, third Sunday in August.
The “Dag van de Hunebed” translates into English as Dutch Day of the Dolmen and this day takes place annually on the third Sunday in August. This day is unique in the world, as it only takes place in the Netherlands. This is special because hunebedden are not only found in this country.
Origin
The Dutch Day of the Dolmen is a collaboration between Hunebed Centrum, Het Drentse Landschap, Unesco Global Geopark de Hondsrug and Staatsbosbeheer. Unsurprisingly, the day will focus on the history of the 54 dolmen (in Dutch “hunebedden“) located on Dutch soil. Dolmen aren’t only located in The Netherlands. They can be found in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world too. In some cases, they’re from the same period. Other buildings are from different periods.
History
In the flat landscape of the Netherlands, a remarkable archaeological treasure awaits discovery: the dolmens, locally known as hunebedden. These prehistoric burial mounds date back to the Neolithic period, an astonishing 5,000 years ago—making them older than the Egyptian pyramids.
What are dolmens?
Dolmens are megalithic tombs constructed from massive stones. They consist of two rows of large stones forming the base, supporting an even larger top stone.
These ancient monuments served as burial chambers, where the deceased were interred along with valuable items such as jewellery, axes, spearheads, and ceramic vessels.
The Giants’ legacy: hunebedden origins
Folklore once attributed the construction of hunebedden to giants (known as “huynen” in Dutch). However, we now understand that ancient humans built these impressive structures.
The builders belonged to the Funnelbeaker culture, a prehistoric group that left their mark across Europe.
Distribution and significance
Hunebedden are concentrated in the province of Drenthe, where remnants of 53 prehistoric burial chambers exist within a 30-kilometre radius.
Each hunebed consists of massive rocks, some weighing over 20 tons.
Despite the Netherlands' absence of mountains or rocky terrain, these megalithic structures stand as enduring testaments to our distant past.
