Gryet

In Gryet (from Old Norse Griut - stone group), in the parish Bodilsker, on Bjergegårdsvejen, north of Rønnevej - Four kilometers west of Nexø, on the Danish island of Bornholm is located next Louisenlund at Østermarie the second largest collection of standing stones in Denmark.

History

Compared to - up to five meters high - copies elsewhere in Scandinavia are the local standing stones of smaller size. Whether the forest was used as a burial ground or grew up later, is unknown.

The arrangements of the stones in groups point to families or graves of villages. The different arrangements of the grave fields in the same areas show that the tombs were used for generations. For new graves apparently you respected the marks of the old graves were left by them in their lineup.

Archaeological investigations in 2011 discovered another grave fields that were significantly destroyed by modern agriculture. In a grave they found the remains of a person with a crafted from bone crest as grave goods. The burial time was determined to be 375-550 AD. Another grave was dated to 750 to 900 AD. This burial took then to over many centuries.

In the southwest of the Gryet - field there are a number of unknown significance rock stone and some grave mound.

Near the forest settlement traces have been found of the same period. It also has two old streets have been discovered through the forest, which can not be dated. The Bautafeld is at Ole Å, the longest and largest river on Bornholm.

The standing stones in Gryet would not have survived without a bailout in 1870. Emil Vedel, the Prefect of archaeologically Bornholm was interested and researched the history of the island. Vedel saw that the monoliths were destroyed and used as material for road construction. He guaranteed the property owners in person that they would be compensated for conservation. In 1875 the Gryet like the other standing stones on Bornholm was protected.

Hjortebakken monoliths

About three kilometers west of Gryet there is another site of standing stones, the Hjortebakken (deer Hills). There are 10 large monoliths and 9 smaller stones that form a ring ( Domarring ). In the middle of the ring there is a cremation, as it is also known by other places in Scandinavia, but not in the rest of Denmark.

Standing stones were used to mark grave sites, mostly cremation. But they also served as memorials of deceased (empty tombs or cenotaphs ).