Updated December 3, 2000
Model of gallery-grave evolution
(3400-2860 B.C./
2700-2300 b.c.)
Even though their number is steadily increasing (e.g. Günther 1989, 1990, Menke 1993, Trier 1993, von Berg 1991), the German gallery-graves are few compared to TRB chambers.[33] Located in the German highlands (Hercynian Zone; e.g. Fisher 1979), they are tentatively divided into three phases following the logic for the model of passage-graves. Primeval gallery-graves have about three to six pairs of side-stones, extended gallery-graves six to ten, and grand gallery-graves ten or more. However, due to the lack of capstones, the poor condition of side-stones and the great variability in the size and type of the stones employed in the construction of gallery-graves, the relationship between the chamber length and the number of side-stones is less reliable. The three classes may have front- or side-entrances. Both entrance locations, with and without porthole, may occur in the same geographic area (Günther 1978, 1979a, b, 80a, b, Schrickel 1966, 1976), although passage-grave type side-entrances are more common in the north and apparently do not exist in the south.
As in the case of TRB chambers, there may be a close link with non- and sub-megalithic tombs. The Westphalian three part masonry-chamber of Erwitte-Völlinghausen used a drywall construction that imitated the form of megalithic stones with their flat side facing the inside of the chamber (Trier 1993:35). Combining the tombs traditionally classified as gallery-graves with non-megalithic masonry chambers (Mauerkammergräber) and sub-surface stone chambers (eingesenkte Steinkammergräber) Beier lists the oldest tomb as Stein, Netherland (Beier 1991:183a Table 24). This gallery-grave-like chamber's C14 date is ca. 3565 B.C. (GrN-4831: 2830±60 b.c.). Stein's isolated location and early dating makes it difficult to assess its relationship to other gallery-graves. But even though the date is 220 uncalibrated years older then the next younger one, it is not a statistical outlyer (Fig. 25).
D. Müller (1991:29) observed that the earliest Central German gallery-grave-related non-megalithic chambers contain Salzmünde ceramics dated µ3544 B.C. (3845±76 B.C./3090±60 b.c. - 3158±105 B.C./2525±45; Midgley 1992:500 No. 212-216, cf. Behrens and Rüster 1991). Salzmünde ceramics belong (primarily?) to the MN AI (e.g. Beier 1993). Based on ceramic typology, D. Müller's earliest construction phase includes chambers such as Schönstedt (GrN-8255: 2525±45 b.c., GrN-9149: 2495±40 b.c.). This together with statistical analysis (Fig. 25) could mean that primeval gallery-graves are not much older than 3400 B.C./2700 b.c., which may be confirmed by a cup from the primeval gallery-grave of Lohra. The cup is similar to a Troldebjerg style one from Sylt (Fig. 26; cf. Kappel 1978:47 Fig. 43, Schwabedissen 1979:152 Fig. 83), but must be a local imitation, rather than an import, judging from the sparse decoration. One may, therefore, conclude that the earliest gallery-graves evolved at a time when grand-dolmen were built west of the Elbe and (just before?) transitional chambers evolved into passage-graves on the periphery of the Hercynian Zone.
There are indeed a number of construction similarities between TRB chambers and gallery-graves. For example, Beier observed that "the relatively narrow grand-dolmen of Zuschau, Kr. Schönebeck ... is reminiscent of the 'Central German Kammergräber'" (Beier 1991:163). Certainly, Zuschau's architecture and chamber length fits neatly at the beginning of the primeval gallery-graves. Primeval gallery-graves range from about 4.5 m to 6.5 m in length. Even Shortewitz, traditionally defined as a gallery-grave due to its stone slab construction, is just one pair of side-stones or ca. 1 m longer than Zuschau. In fact, Shortewitz looks suspiciously like a four-yoke grand-dolmen with antechamber (cf. Schrickel 1976:191 Fig. 22, 4).
In addition to an affinity between gallery-graves and grand-dolmen, some gallery-graves, such as Rimbeck and Beckum II (Fig. 26; Schrickel 1976:191 Fig. 22, 6, 9), had passage-grave-like side-entrances. Even more interesting is the rock-cut tomb of Sorsum (e.g. Maier 1979:98-102 Fig. 4-6), usually classified as a gallery-grave. It contained TRB Horizon 2 pottery (cf. Bakker 1979, 1992) and had a passage-grave type side entrance with steps hewn into the bedrock. Steps are known from the three-yoke primeval passage-grave D13 in Netherland and a few other TRB chambers.[34]
Extended gallery-graves should generally start at 3290 B.C./2610 b.c.[35] The grand gallery-graves, which are longer than 13 m, are estimated to start at 3240 B.C./2570 b.c. Indeed, the 18 m long Atteln I chamber has a charcoal derived date of KI-1822: 2500±65 b.c. But the longest gallery-grave-like chambers Wechte 1 (ca. 40 m and twenty pairs of side-stones) and Wechte 2 (ca. 35 m and eighteen pairs of side-stones) could be as much as a century older, since they contain traces of TRB Horizon 2 pottery (Bakker 1992:145 Table 4), even though the majority of the pottery is later (cf. Laux 1991).
Since this part of the article has been written, excavations, research and additional radiocarbon dates partly confirm the above hypotheses, although the exact sequence of chamber construction is still debated (cf. Dirk Raetzel-Fabian)
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