Stone Cist of Rijs

Forestry worker Herman Wessels stumbled across this site in March 1849 while digging a trench on some large boulders.The boulders were removed and used for the road paving. It later turned out that this destroyed the only known "Hunebed" from Friesland so far.The tomb has been examined three times, in 1849, 1919 and 1996. The most recent examination concluded that this was not a dolmen. Characteristics of a dolmen are precisely the man-sized stones and the construction (partially) above the ground. This grave was a so-called stone box, a construction of a deep pit with relatively small stones.Such a brick box was largely laid out underground, had no entrance and usually no keystones.Stone boxes, like dolmens, were built by the people of the Funnel Beaker culture, who lived from 3400 BC. came to our regions. This culture can then be found throughout Northern Europe, there are also known sites in Scandinavia, Poland and Germany.The Funnel Beaker people lived in small settlements in the forests on the higher sandy soils, where they also built their fields. They chose permanent residence for the first time and buried their dead in the same place.

In the area it is known as the dolmen of Friesland. However, it has been officially established that this is a stone coffin from the period of 3400 BC

You can still clearly see the stones on the ground and the information board gives a detailed explanation of this place. Tip: if you don't speak Dutch, you can simply use the Google app as a translator (take a photo and just read it). 👌