| Papeloze Kerk | |
| Map Type: | Netherlands |
| Relief: | yes |
| Coordinates: | 52.8201°N 6.7738°W |
| Epochs: | Neolithic |
Papeloze Kerk (catalogued as D49) is a restored megalithic tomb (nl|hunebed) near Schoonoord in the Netherlands.
The meaning of the name is disputed but it is generally thought to mean "priestless church" (nl|paap = priest) or "popeless church".[1] It is sometimes said that anti-Catholic (anti-"popish") sermons were held here in the 16th century.[2]
The monument was heavily damaged in the 1860s by people using it as a quarry for building material.[3] It was excavated in 1938 and again in 1958 by A. E. van Giffen.[3] In 1959 he chose to restore it as a demonstration model of a Dutch "hunebed" tomb.[2] Some of the stones were taken from elsewhere, including eleven stones taken from another hunebed (D33).[3] Half the tomb was covered in earth and the chamber was reconstructed with dry-stone walling.[3] The other half of the tomb was left in skeleton form.[3]