A sacred place for burials, sacrifices and mysterious rituals: Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old cult and burial site in the Netherlands. The main elements of the facility were three burial mounds, in which the team found numerous human remains. In the largest construction, the experts also found structures that apparently formed a kind of solar calendar. Another highlight was the discovery of a glass bead that originally came from faraway Mesopotamia.
The view is directed towards the city of Tiel, which is located in the center of the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. As the municipality reports on its website, the first traces of the town’s deep past were discovered during construction work in an industrial area. This led to an archaeological excavation project, which then brought more and more spectacular finds to light. It finally became apparent that there was a ritual center at the site around 4000 years ago. The municipality of Tiel has now presented the preliminary results.
Grave mounds with solar calendar function
The entire area with prehistoric structures covered an area equivalent to three soccer fields. There were graves, a farmstead and the most important elements were three mounds in which people were also buried. In all, archaeologists found the remains of more than 80 men, women and children, some buried and others cremated. The findings show that the complex was used for burials over a period of 800 years.
The experts also made an exciting discovery at the largest mound: The approximately 20-meter-wide structure apparently served as a kind of solar calendar. Around the mound, the team found traces of a ditch with passageways. They found that the sun shone directly through these openings onto the mound on specific days of the year: the longest day—June 21, the summer solstice—and also the shortest, December 21, the winter solstice. In addition, other openings probably marked harvest or festival days.
In the places where the sun shone directly through the openings, the archaeologists also discovered objects that they interpret as remains of sacrificial rituals. These are valuables such as a bronze spearhead, animal bones, but also human skulls. The municipality of Tiel writes that these findings support the fact that burial mounds were also used for rituals at the time. Exactly how the facility once looked and was used remains largely speculative.
Glass bead from Mesopotamia
In addition to the solar calendar, the experts emphasize another highlight: a greenish pearl that initially seemed inconspicuous and was discovered in a burial area on the edge of the complex. It is now the oldest glass bead known from the Netherlands. Apparently she had also traveled surprisingly far: The pearl probably originally came from the then comparatively highly developed region of Mesopotamia in what is now Iraq. This means that the inhabitants of today’s Netherlands already had contacts or even trade relations 4000 years ago, which reached into this region, which is almost 5000 kilometers away.
As the municipality of Tiel writes in conclusion, the evaluation of the findings will now continue and a scientific publication is planned at the end. Some finds are presented in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden and in the museum in Tiel. Finally, City Councilor Frank Groen says: “We are now thinking about how we can tell the story to the public even better. For example through a documentary.”
Source: Municipality of Tiel