Kung Östens grav (English: King Östen’s Grave) is a passage grave located within a roughly 1.0-meter-high round mound, approximately 10.0 meters in diameter, with numerous visible stones on its surface. It is situated near Björlanda on the island of Hisingen in Bohuslän, Sweden.
The passage grave was constructed between 3500 and 2800 BCE as a megalithic structure of the Funnelbeaker Culture (TBK). It represents a type of construction from the Neolithic period, consisting of a chamber and a laterally connected passage. This form is primarily found in Denmark, Germany, and occasionally in France, Norway, and the Netherlands. Östen’s Grave (Norrala 18:1) is a tumulus located in the Söderhamn Municipality.
The passage grave, oriented northeast to southwest, is positioned at the center of the mound. The chamber is nearly oval and measures approximately 2.9 × 1.9 meters. Around a dozen former supporting stones, mostly tilted, belong to the chamber. Capstones are not preserved. The mound southeast of the chamber features several depressions on the surface, likely indicating the former placement of enclosure stones.
Names associated with kings can be found at several megalithic sites (Kung Björn’s Grave, Kung Ring’s Grave), tumuli (Kung Tryggve’s Grave), runestones (Kung Kåre’s Stone, Kung Sigge’s Stone), standing stones (Kung Götrik’s Stone, Kung Ane’s Stone), and stone pairs (Kung Råd’s Grave), and are even more prevalent in Denmark.
In Sweden, large mounds often dating from the later Iron Age with diameters exceeding 30.0 meters are commonly referred to as Kungshögen (English: “King’s Mound”). They are predominantly found around Lake Mälaren, with a few scattered across other landscapes. Some of the largest examples include Anundshög in Västmanland, Grönehög in Bohuslän, Högom in Medelpad, Inglinge hög in Småland, Ledbergs kulle in Östergötland, Skalunda hög in Västergötland, Ströbo hög in Västmanland, and the three mounds in Old Uppsala in Uppland.
