Steinkiste im Tempelberger Forst

A Neolithic stone cist stands in the Tempelberg Forest, a raised area on the southern edge of the Lebuser Platte north of Fürstenwalde in Brandenburg. The site sits in a wetland, reached by a small path through dense woodland. The cist is trapezoid in shape, aligned west to east, and sunk entirely below ground level. Its walls are built from red Trebuser sandstone and a single limestone slab, topped by several capstones. The chamber’s entrance lies at the eastern end, a feature that links it to the later Funnelbeaker culture rather than the true cists of Jutland. The cist belongs to the Globular Amphora culture, dated roughly between 3100 and 2700 BC. Excavations in 1871 uncovered the remains of at least six people, along with a pig tooth and a whetstone. A follow-up investigation in 1986 found decorated pottery shards, blades and flint flakes from the same culture. These finds confirm the site’s importance for understanding burial practices and daily life in the late Neolithic period. Visitors reach the cist by walking a quiet forest track to the small mound where it lies. The surrounding wetland keeps the area damp and shaded, adding to the sense of an ancient, undisturbed place. A low wooden fence now protects the chamber, but the stones remain exposed within their earthen hollow. The red sandstone walls contrast with the green moss and grey lichen, marking the spot clearly once found. The forest itself is home to deer and wild boar, adding to the feeling of stepping back into prehistory.