Dolmens D38, D39 and D40 - Emmen

Although these are not the best-preserved or largest dolmens, they are fascinating. After all, why were three tombs built here instead of one big one?

D40 stands out the most. It has only two, but substantial capstones that rest neatly on the four supporting stones and the two keystones. One gatestone remains, the other is marked with a plombe.

In 1918, this hunebed was still partly hidden under its cover mound and was therefore minutely examined by archaeologist Albert van Giffen. The mound was found to contain a very large quantity of field boulders (the so-called stone pack). Here, Van Giffen found evidence of a supply road to the top of the mound along which the cover stones were dragged or rolled. The mound was restored after the survey.

Three small hunebeds close together. Why not one big one? They were probably built by successive generations but we don't know that for sure either.