Øm

Facts

Passage grave as an early tourist attraction

By Jørgen Westphal, Konsulent, cand. mag. (14 stories)

" The passage grave at Øm nær Roskilde is surrounded by a stone wall dating from the Neolithic period. All passage graves were covered by earth mounds leaving only the entrance visible. This is true of the Øm passage grave, where the original mound is well preserved. The majority of passage graves were also surrounded by a kerb; a ring of large upright stones, 0.5 to 1.5 metres in height. Between these uprights was a fine masonry of sandstone paving. Unfortunately these kerbs have often been destroyed or removed altogether, because they were easy targets for stone looters. "

Public place

Selected entry

Wooden gate to the past

Story written by Jørgen Westphal

Time / Periode -3400 -3000

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The Øm passage grave demonstrates that even in the 1800s there were forces at work to present these prehistoric monuments to the public. This monument was discovered in 1832 and brought under a preservation order in the following year. The Øm passage grave was one of the best-preserved of its kind, and the idea was that its location near Roskilde would make this a much visited and well-known site. Clearly, the aim of making this a scheduled monument was so that the public could visit it. To protect the passage grave, a new stone wall was built, with a lockable wooden gate. The gate has gone, but the unauthentic 19th century stone wall of smallish round stones still surrounds the passage grave. As such, this is not just a monument from the Stone Age, but a monument to an ethic of presentation and preservation from the more recent past.