1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
German election 2025Middle East crisisRussia's war in Ukraine
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
HistoryNetherlands

Dutch archaeologists find 4,000-year-old shrine

June 22, 2023

Local media are referring to the ancient religious site as the "Stonehenge of the Netherlands."

https://p.dw.com/p/4Subr
A view shows the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuary discovered in Tiel
A view shows the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuary discovered in TielImage: MUNICIPALITY OF TIEL/REUTERS

Archaeologists in the Netherlands have found a 4,000-year-old shrine made up of ditches and burial mounds.

The site was excavated at Tiel, which lies 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) from The Hague. It was the first such discovery in the Netherlands, according to the town's website.

"What a spectacular archaeological discovery!" A statement on its Facebook page added.

The 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands'

The site has been dubbed as the "Stonehenge of the Netherlands" by local media.

The sanctuary — like the stone circle in England — was built to align with the sun on solstices.

The burial mound contained the remains of some 60 men, women and children. The site was used for sacrificial festivals, rituals, celebrations and burials for nearly 800 years.

An illustration showing what the researchers believe is the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuary with tree trunks lining the way to a burial mound
An illustration shows what the researchers believe is the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuaryImage: MUNICIPALITY OF TIEL/REUTERS

The site was excavated in 2017, but its significance has only now become clear.

"Everything was hidden deep underground," the town said.

Some 1 million objects, including a 1,000 year-old glass bead, have been excavated from the sanctuary.

The oldest artifacts are estimated to date back to 2,500 B.C.

dvv/rt (AFP, dpa, Reuters)