Ekornavallen, situated on a raised ridge sloping down towards the river Slafsan in the Falköping district, is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in Västergötland. The time span between the graves bears witness to the area's great prehistoric importance.

People were buried at Ekornavallen as far back as Neolithic times 5,000 years ago. They were laid in large stone chambers. These vast megalithic tombs - stone cists and passage graves - allowed burial of generation after generation. The stone cist in the area is built of upright stone blocks, the roof of long stone slabs, with estimated space for up to 60 people. In Ekornavallen's four passage graves people could be buried sitting in divided spaces. The largest and most well renown is "Girommen", which is said to mean "the grand oven".

The ancient site has for a long time attracted the interest of experts and is discussed and described in several older treatises. Unfortunately it lacks remains of villages, habitations, boundaries etc.

A large cairn is dated from the Bronze Age, 1 800-500 BC. With a diameter over 20 metres and height over two metres, the grave is visible from afar in the surrounding landscape. Perhaps a leading village figure wished for a magnificent grave to show his power? Grave size and position suggest the deceased is buried with ample grave goods.

The variation of Iron Age grave types provides exciting insight into burials of the period. Standing stones, stone settings, stone circles and a triangular stone setting can be found. Stone settings are the most common form of grave during the Iron Age. Stone circles (domarringar) are however chiefly dated to the period 0-500AD. The area has graves from both the late and early Iron Ages.

Twelve standing stones - Bauta stones - are positioned practically in line. An ancient track presumably passed this way. Oral tradition tells of the Bauta stones: those travelling by could hardly fail to see them. The monuments are said to have been raised in memory of 19 knights who fell in the battle of Falköping 1389.

The Ekornavallen graves have not undergone archaeological investigation. Though some have been restored by the National Heritage Board, resulting in several finds such as amber fragments, ornamented potsherds and a parallel-sided blade.

Travel directions

The burial ground is situated around 15 kilometres north of Falköping in Västergötland. There are signs from road 46 and 184.