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Unless otherwise stated, this image is the copyright of the submitter. Contact them for permission to reproduce it. |  | | Description | Close-up from the West.
Certainly one of the most well-known megalithic sites in Germany this massive 4 capstone chamber is situated in a woodland at the western slope of a small hill North of Osnabrück.
The westernmost capstone measures appr. 3,6m x 2,6m x 1,1m. The easternmost capstone is even larger: 4,2m x 2,3m x 0,9m [1].
The characteristic and unusual view of the chamber (compared to most other TBK sites) originates in the use of a locally quarried lime-stone from the nearby Piesberg. The Piesberg is the heighest “mountain” in the area of Osnabrück with 188m above sea level. Its eastern slopes are located 500m to the West of the site. The use of quarried material is extremely rare at megalithic Funnel Beaker sites. The reasons are the lack of quarries in most of the regions inhabitated by the FBC (TBK) and the availability of glacial erratic boulders in prehistoric times. As a result the latter were used at nearly all Funnel Beaker tombs. The smoothened sides usually face towards the interior of the chambers or when used as barrow kerb stones towards barrows' exterior. In contrast the orthostats and capstones of the Karlsteine are more like ashlars.
Reference:
[1] Sprockhoff, Schwieger (1927) in: Körner, G. (Ed.), Sprockhoff, E. Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands, Niedersachsen-Westfalen, Rudolf Habelt Verlag GmbH, Bonn 1975, p. 122f, Tafel 46, Altasblatt 139.
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