Quite coincidentally, the remnants of a burial chamber dating back to the New Stone Age were dug up in Stein in April 1963. This discovery turned out to be so extraordinary that they built a museum on top of it.
In the 1920s, Mr Beckers, a general practitioner in Beek, performed archaeological research here and stumbled on traces of the Linear Pottery Culture, along with traces of the Iron Age including cremation graves and remnants of the Roman era. In close proximity, a vast burial field dating back to the Merovingian period was revealed in the 1930s. Stein turned out to be a rich archaeological site where many ancestors were given a final resting place.
In the 1960s a new residential area was planned and father Munsters managed to convince professional archaeologists to excavate the then undeveloped land. Professor Moddermans of the University of Leiden revealed this extraordinary find that dates back to the prehistoric times between 3425 and 3325 B.C. in North-Western Europe. The custom of cremating Stein’s deceased, rather than burying them, points to a change in burial rituals at the time. Some of the grave goods include flint arrowheads and a collared flask that is closely linked to Dolmen pottery found in North-Western Germany and the Netherlands. The flask could mean the builders of the burial chamber in Stein were in touch with other tribes located more to the north.
The Neolithic burial chamber fits in with other important archaeological sites such as Stonehenge and the Dolmen in Drenthe. One third of the burial chamber was reconstructed and can be seen in the museum you find yourself in right now.
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PLEASE NOTE: The location is right next to the museum entrance.
TIP: Also visit the archaeological site of Stein Castle
More information about this castle in Stein
More information:
Museum voor Grafcultuur
Address: Hoppenkampstraat 14-A - 6171 VP Stein
https://www.stichtingerfgoedstein.nl/museum
Archaeological site Stein - Neolithic burial chamber
Experience the archaeological story from the Neolithic burial chamber in Stein. Download the app and get face-to-face on site with our archaeologist. He tells you the history and the importance of the Neolithic burial chamber through most modern virtual technology. This makes you feel as if you transform into the past. This makes you feel as if you transform into the past.
When
Always open.
Contact and location
Archeologische vindplaats Stein - Neolithische grafkelder
Hoppenkampstraat 14a
6171 VP
STEIN LB