Located about one kilometer east of Borger on the road toward Buinen, D28 and D29 are clearly visible from the roadside, positioned about 100 meters into the heathland. The stones rest amid low grass and typical woodland of the Drenthe region. Their appearance is impressive: groups of large glacial boulders, grey and covered with lichen, are arranged in elongated oval formations at the core of these burial sites. These two tombs are part of a larger collection of hunebedden (dolmens) prevalent in Drenthe, which boasts more than fifty such monuments. Close by, visitors can find the largest hunebed, D27, housed at the Hunebedcentrum museum in Borger.
Archaeological and Historical Findings
Hunebed D28 and D29 date back to the Neolithic period, approximately 3400-2850 BCE, and were built by people of the Funnel Beaker Culture. These megalithic tombs are constructed from large glacial erratics carried to the region by Ice Age glaciers and assembled without the use of metal tools. The structures consist of upright stones called orthostats supporting massive capstones, forming chambers that were originally covered by earth to create burial mounds. Excavations of hunebed sites in Drenthe have uncovered pottery, flint implements, and sometimes multiple burials, indicating these tombs served communal funerary purposes. The surrounding landscape, shaped over millennia by glacial activity and human intervention, enriches the historical context of these sites.
Accessibility and Visitor Information
From parking areas along the Borger–Buinen road, visitors can reach D28 and D29 via a short, mostly flat grassy path approximately 100 meters long. The path is easy to follow, with minor slopes and no stairs, but the ground may become uneven or muddy in wet conditions, so robust footwear is advised. While the terrain is generally accessible, those using wheelchairs may encounter difficulties. Access to the sites is free of charge.
