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The Slutarp dolmen - Slutarpsdösen in Swedish - is a megalithic tomb from the Neolithic period situated NW of Slutarp in Kinneved parish, the district of Falköping, the province of Västergötland, Sweden, Northern Europe. Earlier there have been a controversy about this grave being a dolmen or a gallery grave. In April 2000 there was radiocarbon datings that clearly showed that it is a dolmen that was used during the years 3400 BC to 3000 BC, that is the beginning of the Middle Neolithic period then the passage graves was built. The tomb was found while quarrying stones and it was excavated 1910 by Sune Lindqvist. Lindqvist was of the opinion that this was a sort of dolmen and therefore it is called Slutarpsdösen—The Slutarp dolmen.

The Slutarp dolmen is quite unique because it is one of the very few dolmens in the Swedish inland. Another dolmen in the Falbygden area in the Bestorp Dolmen (Falköpings västra sn Raä nr 7) at Kapellsgatan 90 in the Södra Bestorp area in Falköping. This dolmen has also been radiocarbon dated to the beginning of the Middle Neolithic period.

The chamber is rectangular, 2 meters long and less than 1 meter wide, with a single capstone that covers the chamber. Dolmens with a chamber of this shape is very common in Denmark. Since the 1960's some archaeologists have claimed that the tomb is a gallery grave or stone cist from the Late Neolithic period circa 2000 BC, but the radiocarbon dating have proved that to be wrong.

During the excavation in 1910 there was found remains from 30-34 buried persons in the chamber. Other finds from the chamber is rare, but three amber beads where found. The biggest of the beads is 2.5 cm high and the form of the bead indicates that it belongs to the Funnel Beaker Culture (TRB). This is a strong indicator that the grave really is a dolmen belonging to the Funnel Beaker Culture and not a gallery grave belonging to the Late Neolithic Culture.

The megalithic chamber is surrounded by a 1 meter high barrow with a diameter of 15 meters.

The capstone is 3.5 meter long, 2 meters wide and 0.5 meter thick. On the capstone there are over 100 carved cup marks and three pairs of carved foot prints. Some of the cup marks are connected with each other. Sadly it is almost impossible to date a cup mark and the use of them are unknown. Cup marks are sometimes interpreted as offering cups, but sometimes it is believed that the making of the cup marks was of special ritual interest.

The capstone is sadly of mica schist that is easily eroded by rain, frost, and growing lichens. During the years 1997-2001 the capstone was covered to protect it from erosion. The covering killed the lichens that grew on the capstone and prevented them from further eroding of the capstone. When the capstone was uncovered in May 2001 it became clear that the capstone was more serious damaged than previously believed. The capstone is in urgent need of protection and it is now still covered during the winters to protect it from erosion by frost.

Slutarpsdösen—The Slutarp dolmen— is number 21 of the sites in the parish of Kinneved in the inventory of ancient sites by the National Heritage Board from the years 1960 and 1984.

 

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This page is made by Slutarpsdösens Vänner (The Fellowship of the Slutarp Dolmen). Updated 2009-12-06.

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