Frälsegården

The site is a Megalithic burial structure characteristic of the Funnel Beaker Culture (TRB) in Gökhem parish, Västergötland, Sweden. It contained more than 9,000 fragments of commingled human bones, together with the remains of four articulated skeletons, which altogether resembled ca. 78 individuals collectively buried here. The megalith was in use between approximately 3,400-2,900 BC. It represents the most northerly distribution of the European Neolithic farming life-style. The site also revealed a few archaeological artefacts but they could not be linked to specific individuals.

Analyses of Sr isotopes in tooth enamel have shown that up to 25% of the humans buried at the Gökhem parish had a different geographical origin at birth (isotope signals matching these individuals may be found within a 100 km radius around Falbygden), which indicates that they had moved to Gökhem (i.e. the place of the burial). The samples analyzed thus far range in age between 4,750-5,280 cal. years. In comparison to the hunter-gatherer communities existing at the time, Gökhem individuals show a lesser degree of adaptation of their skeletal features to cooler climate. TRB individuals buried in megalithic structures exhibit a diet mainly including terrestrial proteins. All individuals listed here have been subject to investigations of their complete genomes.