Dolmens D17 + D18 - Rolde

The dolmens behind Rolde's medieval Sint-Jacobskerk are perhaps the best-known dolmens in the Netherlands. Their current state makes them very photogenic and frequently depicted on postcards, tiles and paintings. Yet this current state is not so obvious.

It is quite miraculous to say that the dolmens so close to the church have been so well preserved. The Church of Rome, which was seen as the church of true faith, saw the dolmens as obstacles from a pagan past and as works of the devil. Yet the church could not convince the people of Drenthe of this. On the contrary, it was in deep awe of the ancient works. It seems that the priests of the time turned a blind eye and spared the pagan monuments. When the church was built some 600 years ago, the dolmens were already more than 4,000 years old.

In 1870, when these hunebeds were owned by the province of Drenthe, Drenthe governor Gregory set about restoring dolmens D17 and D18 a little too enthusiastically. The original cover mounds were smoothed out in the process, as they were believed to have been created by dune formation.

D18 consists of seven capstones, with 14 supporting stones. Professor Giffen, who examined the monuments around 1925, rated D18 as "in good condition" and D17, which originally consisted of eight capstones and 16 side stones, he rated as "in sad condition". Pottery was found in both tombs in the past, which can be seen at the Drents museum in Assen. But due to the smoothing of the cover mounds in the late nineteenth century, Van Giffen was unable to investigate the monuments further scientifically.

The impressive oak tree that complemented D18 in old pictures had to be removed in 1984 because it grew so closely associated with the dolmen that it threatened its preservation.


Photo 2: ©Karijn Broekhuijsen
Photo 3: National Archive