====== Ale's Stones ======

Ale's Stones (Swedish: Ales stenar) is a megalithic monument located in Scania, southern Sweden. It consists of a stone ship, 67 meters long, formed by 59 large sandstone boulders, each weighing up to 1.8 tonnes. According to Scanian folklore, the monument is believed to be the burial site of the legendary King Ale.

==== King Ale ====

Ale the Strong (Heimskringla) or Ole (Ola) in Scandinavian legend, was a member of the House of Skjoldung (Scylding). He was the son of King Fridleif of Denmark and a cousin of Helgi, who is related to Hrothgar of *Beowulf*. Ale fought several battles against King Aun of Uppsala and ruled Uppsala for 25 years until he was killed by Starkad the Old.

According to legend, Starkad was initially a member of Ole's warband. However, after Ole conquered Zealand, Starkad was persuaded to join a scheme to kill Ole. Ole was difficult to kill due to his fearsome gaze. Starkad managed to kill Ole only after covering his face. Starkad was rewarded with 120 pounds of gold but later regretted his action and avenged Ole's death by killing Lennius.

==== Stone Ship ====

The stone ship, or ship setting, is an early Germanic burial custom commonly found in Scandinavia, Germany, and the Baltic States. These settings often feature a grave or cremation burial surrounded by tightly or loosely fit slabs or stones arranged in the outline of a ship. The size of these ship settings varies from monumental to small.

  * **Largest known stone ship**: The mostly destroyed Jelling stone ship in Denmark, which was at least 170 meters long.
  * **Sweden**: Examples range from 67 meters (Ale's Stones) to a few meters.
  * **Features**: Some ship settings have raised stones representing masts and larger stones at the ends, creating an illusion of a ship. Some also have an oblique stern.

Ship settings can be found in Northern Germany and the Baltic States. They are typically dated to the latter part of the Nordic Bronze Age (c. 1000 BC - 500 BC) or the Germanic Iron Age, including the Vendel and Viking Ages (e.g., Blekinge and Scania).

The purpose of these stone ships is debated, with theories suggesting they were designed to equip the dead with everything they had in life or to symbolize the journey to the afterlife.

==== Excavations ====

In 1989, archaeological excavations at Ale's Stones revealed a decorated clay pot containing burned human bones. The bones were thought to come from a pyre and were placed in the pot later. The pot's contents were dated to 330-650 CE, with a carbon-14 date of around 600 CE being most consistent with the creation of Ale's Stones.

The Swedish National Heritage Board's carbon-14 dating indicates the site was created around 600 CE. However, one sample, dated to approximately 3500 BCE, is believed to be from an older hearth found near the monument.

==== Controversies and Theories ====

In April 2012, Nils-Axel Morner, a retired geologist, proposed that Ale's Stones was constructed as an astronomical calendar inspired by Stonehenge, rather than a burial monument. He suggested that the alignment of the stones with the sun's rise and set during solstices indicated its use in timing annual events.

Critics, including Swedish archaeologist Martin Rundkvist, argue that this theory lacks support from academic archaeology. Rundkvist and others maintain that Ale's Stones is an ornate grave marker from the Late Iron Age, built by a seafaring community known for their stone ships. Radiocarbon dating supports the construction date around 1,400 years ago, dismissing Morner's older date and astronomical calendar theory.

For more information, see: [Live Science - April 18, 2012](https://www.livescience.com/20304-ales-stones-stonehenge.html).