Among the limestone banks that characterise the area there are two low outcrops placed side by side with a slightly sloping rock face, in which a Necropolis (the Sardinian Domus de Janas) was carved. One outcrop houses the Tombs I-II, while the other houses the Tombs III-IX. Depending on the morphology, the entrances are preceded by short dromoi, that is corridors dug into the rock, sometimes leading to a pavilion (Tombs II, VIII, IX), where the access door opens. The tombs are all multicellular, mainly characterised by a “T-shaped” plan; some asymmetries suggest that expansion works have been carried out.
Among the nine tombs, the Tomb VIII stands out for the refinement of the decoration effects. It can be accessed from a raised dromos that leads to a quadrangular vestibule, without ceiling, that shows now only traces of cornices and pilasters. The antechamber has a tabular ceiling with the representation of a wooden roof; the back wall is characterised by a door framed on either side by lowered mirrors and cornices on the model of the wooden structures of domestic architecture which is symbolically imitated in the style of funerary architecture. The walls still preserve dual horn-shaped engravings, of the “boat-shaped” type. In the larger chamber there is a gable roof characterised by a central beam and seven joists per side; in the walls it is possible to see the wainscot at the base and pilasters reproducing the stakes of the supporting wooden structure of the huts. At both sides of the entrance it is possible to see “band” curved horns and the same pattern is repeated along the back wall, which is carved with a fake door, a kind of porta inferi (the door to the underworld). The remaining chambers do not show any decoration. In the adjoining Tomb IX, on the wall of the dromos, it is possible to see two juxtaposed hemispherical cupels.Outside the Tomb VII, there are two menhirs and a flat slab, probably symbols of the funeral area that included the Tombs VIII-IX.
References:Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.
The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.