SCANDINAVIA 



are arranged forty-eight tall upright blocks of 



stone. 



The Hi'menbetter of the Altmark are among 

 the best known and explored. Here the corridors 

 are usually about 20 feet long, though in rare 

 cases they reach a length of 40 feet. Each is filled 

 with clean sand up to two- thirds of its height, 

 and on this lie the bodies and their funeral deposit. 

 The bodies must have been laid flat, though not 

 necessarily in an extended position, as there was 

 not room above the sand for them to have been 

 seated upright. Various implements of flint have 

 been found in the tombs together with stone 

 hammers and vases of pottery. There is no certain 

 instance of the finding of metal. 



A book printed by John Picardt at Amsterdam 

 in 1660 contains quaint pictures of giants and 

 dwarfs engaged in the building of a megalithic 

 monument which is clearly a Hunenbett. According 

 to tradition the giants, after employing the labour 

 of the dwarfs, proceeded to devour them. H linen- 

 better similar to those shown in Picardt's illustra- 

 tions are still to be seen in Holland, but only in 

 the north, where over fifty are known. They are 

 of elongated rectangular form, built of upright 

 blocks, and roofed with from two to ten cover- 

 slabs. They all widen slightly towards the west 

 end. The most perfect example still remaining 

 is that of Tinaarloo, and the largest is that of 



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