Klekkende Høj is a

megalithic tomb A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

on the island of

Møn Møn () is an island in south-eastern Denmark. Until 1 January 2007, it was a municipality in its own right but it is now part of the municipality of Vordingborg Municipality, Vordingborg, after merging with the former municipalities of Langeb ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. It takes its name from its location near the village of Klekkende. "Høj" stems from the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

word ''haugr'' (Swedish "hög"), meaning hill, mound or barrow.

Burial mound

The tomb is believed to date from the

Neolithic Age The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wid ...

, ca. 3500-2800 BC, and is one of the best preserved of more than 100 burial mounds on the island. It is situated a short distance from the road between Tostenæs and Røddinge. The tomb is a

passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or stone and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age and are found largely in Western Europ ...

, which means that the central chamber within the mound is reached by a connecting passage. Klekkende Høj is unusual in that there are two entrance passages running approximately parallel to each other, facing east. Within the mound is a central space running approximately north-south, which is divided through the centre by two large stones. One passage enters each half of the tomb. The entrance passages are approximately 7 metres long and sufficiently large for a crouching man. The central chambers are each approximately 4.5 metres long and larger, but not large enough for a man to stand. The chambers and passages are constructed from large stones set on edge, which support capstones laid flat across their tops. The whole was then covered by an earth mound.

Excavation

The tomb was excavated in 1797 by Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette, who was governor of the island. Fifteen men worked for a week to dig down into the tomb and remove some of the capstones so that the contents could be removed. Inside were a considerable number of human remains, flint weapons, clay vessels and

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

jewellery. These were sent to the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. The tomb was then re-sealed. The tomb has since been entered again and is now open to the public via the passage entrances. The southern chamber was restored in 1987 to make it safe. At that time, the northern chamber was considered to be sound, but it was later found that the capstones were in danger of slipping off their supports. This was restored in 2002, and electric lights were also installed for the benefit of visitors.Klekkende Hoj - Passage Grave in Denmark in Copenhagen (København)
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References

Bibliography

* Kjer Michaelsen, Karsten: ''Politikens bog om Danmarks oldtid'' (Copenhagen. 2002)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klekkende Hoj Buildings and structures completed in the 4th millennium BC 1797 archaeological discoveries Archaeological sites in Vordingborg Municipality Megalithic monuments in Denmark Møn Buildings and structures in Region Zealand Tourist attractions in Vordingborg Municipality Archaeological discoveries in Denmark