A stone burial chamber thought to be approximately 4,000 years old has been discovered by archaeologists in Norway, close to the border with Sweden.

Archaeological excavations uncovered the rare stone tomb near the town of Halden in southeastern Norway, roughly 120 km from Oslo.

The burial chamber was uncovered on the Svinesund plateau near the Swedish border, where archaeologists are carrying out investigations before construction begins on a major industrial development.

Experts believe the stone cist, known in Norwegian as a hellekiste, may date back around 4,000 years. This would place it around the transition from the Stone Age to the early Bronze Age.

However, its age is currently based on comparisons with similar graves and has not yet been confirmed through scientific dating, according to forskning.no.

Photo: Kulturhistorisk museum