<< Our Photo Pages >> Ekornavallen - Passage Grave in Sweden in Västergötland
Submitted by cereus on Sunday, 30 January 2005 Page Views: 7973
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: EkornavallenCountry: Sweden Landskap: Västergötland Type: Passage Grave
Nearest Town: Falköping Nearest Village: Broddetorp
Latitude: 58.279200N Longitude: 13.603600E
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
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NeolithicFanatic neolithique02 DrewParsons have visited here
Excerpt from the web page of The National Heritage Board ( Riksantikvarieämbetet) in Sweden:
Ekornavallen, situated on a raised ridge sloping down towards the river Slafsan in the Falköping district, is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in Västergötland. The time span between the graves bears witness to the area's great prehistoric importance.
People were buried at Ekornavallen as far back as Neolithic times 5,000 years ago. They were laid in large stone chambers. These vast megalithic tombs - stone cists and passage graves -- allowed burial of generation after generation. The stone cist in the area is built of upright stone blocks, the roof of long stone slabs, with estimated space for up to 60 people. In Ekornavallen's four passage graves people could be buried sitting in divided spaces. The largest and most well renown is "Girommen", which is said to mean "the grand oven".
The ancient site has for a long time attracted the interest of experts and is discussed and described in several older treatises. Unfortunately it lacks remains of villages, habitations, boundaries etc.
A large cairn is dated from the Bronze Age, 1 800-500 BC. With a diameter over 20 metres and height over two metres, the grave is visible from afar in the surrounding landscape. Perhaps a leading village figure wished for a magnificent grave to show his power? Grave size and position suggest the deceased is buried with ample grave goods.
The variation of Iron Age grave types provides exciting insight into burials of the period. Standing stones, stone settings, stone circles and a triangular stone setting can be found. Stone settings are the most common form of grave during the Iron Age. Stone circles (domarringar) are however chiefly dated to the period 0-500AD. The area has graves from both the late and early Iron Ages.
Twelve standing stones - Bauta stones - are positioned practically in line. An ancient track presumably passed this way. Oral tradition tells of the Bauta stones: those travelling by could hardly fail to see them. The monuments are said to have been raised in memory of 19 knights who fell in the battle of Falköping 1389.
The Ekornavallen graves have not undergone archaeological investigation. Though some have been restored by the National Heritage Board, resulting in several finds such as amber fragments, ornamented potsherds and a parallel-sided blade.
Travel directions
The burial ground is situated around 15 kilometres north of Falköping in Västergötland. There are signs from road 46 and 184.
greywether wrote: There's a lot to see here although much of it is somewhat ruined. There are four passage graves (three in the public site and one in the adjoining garden to the S);two stone circles;three groups of standing stones;two robbed out cairns and one intact one; and a "treudd" - a triangular cairn. The site was therefore in use for 3000 years from mid third millennium BC.
The most northerly passage grave is the best preserved and is known as Girommen.
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
64m WNW 298° Girommen* Passage Grave
147m W 268° Hornborga 32:1 Röse* Round Cairn
165m SSE 161° Hornborga 34:1 Passage grave* Passage Grave
4.0km S 182° Torestorpstenen* Carving
5.4km S 179° Valtorp 1:1* Passage Grave
5.5km S 179° Rössberga Gånggrift* Passage Grave
5.5km S 178° Rössberga Hällkista* Cist
5.7km S 178° Valtorp 3:1* Passage Grave
6.3km SSW 202° Kung Rånes grav* Standing Stone (Menhir)
6.8km S 179° Torbjörntorp 12:1* Passage Grave
8.0km SE 140° Högstena 20:1* Passage Grave
8.0km SE 142° Högstena 18:1* Passage Grave
8.0km SE 141° Högstena 19:1* Passage Grave
8.4km SE 129° Kuhögen Gånggrift* Passage Grave
8.7km N 7° Lilla Lycke Gravfält* Standing Stones
9.9km N 10° Amundtorp Gravfält* Standing Stones
11.6km SSW 191° Falköping Stensättning 3* Stone Circle
11.7km SSE 154° Åsle 23:1* Passage Grave
11.9km SSW 193° Falköping Stensättning 2* Stone Circle
12.0km SSW 196° Ängshögens Norra Gånggrift* Passage Grave
12.1km SSW 196° Ängshögen Gånggrift* Passage Grave
12.2km SSW 196° Trädgårdens Gånggrift* Passage Grave
12.2km SSW 195° Lusthushögens Gånggrift* Passage Grave
12.2km SSW 195° Falköping Hög 2* Round Barrow(s)
12.2km SSW 195° Falköping Hällkista 4* Cist
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We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.