Latest news with #Jan-WillemdeKort
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Devil's Money' Found in Ancient Netherlands Cult Burial
A metal detectorist discovered ancient gold coins in the Netherlands that turned out to be a cult ritual offering. Experts believe the money left at the location was 'devil's money,' an offering to pagan gods. The worship site likely had ties to summer and autumn equinoxes thanks to the discovery of seasonally aligned post holes. A metal detectorist recently came across a cache of more than 100 gold and silver coins buried underground in the Netherlands, prompting archaeologists to come further investigate the site. But knowing now what the coins were there for, perhaps the archaeologists should've left them alone. According to a new study published in Medieval Archaeology, the coins, which sat buried for 1,300 years in the Netherlands, were likely used in cult rituals, and further around the site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a seventh-century open-air cult site. It's more than plausible that the cache of coins was what was known as 'devil's money,' coin offerings common at pagan cult sites. The metal detectorists made the find near Hezingen, a hamlet near the Netherland's border with Germany. The coins are from around 700 A.D.—including some rare finds from the mints of the Frankish Empire—and were found along with metal jewelry in 2020 and 2021. There were a number of clues that helped the archaeologists deduce that the site where the coins were found was once the stomping grounds for a cult. There were rows of posts, evidence of a large residence in a clearing near an ancient road junction on a prominent elevated landscape, remnants of animal sacrifices, and more. They also determined that the gold coins and jewelry were placed there in intervals over 100 years and interspersed with the animal sacrifices, making it clear that the site once served as a ritual sacrifice location for pagan gods. The archaeologists, led by Jan-Willem de Kort of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, located the signs of an old structure, likely from the sixth century, as well as 17 postholes for wooden posts that aligned with spring and autumn equinoxes, which tied the site to seasonal harvest rituals. 'The cult site was probably linked to a nearby high-status settlement with an enclosed cult house or ceremonial building,' the study authors wrote. 'The offerings may have been linked to fertility rites as the posts were aligned with the rising and setting of the sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes.' In all, the gold and silver coins were discovered in three areas. One site had a single gold coin, while another had 24 fragmented or complete gold coins, along with silver and gold jewelry. The third site featured gold coins and jewelry. 'I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that preeminently with valuables,' de Kort said, according to 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious.' The use of the site by elites and the timing of it all raises questions about the rise of Christianity in the area. The site's use curtailed in the 700s A.D., the study claims, earlier than the rise of Christianity in the region, leading the study authors to theorize that the area's leaders could have turned to Christianity earlier than others. As prominent missionary texts spelled out, to have pre-Christian groups convert to Christianity, they would need to stop worshiping pagan gods and cease the sacrifice of the so-called 'devil's money.' Since Hezingen was abandoned by the early eighth century when Christianity began to spread, the study authors suggest the leaders of the town—wealthy, as shown by the value of the gold and silver—were some of the first in the area to convert to Christianity. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Devil's Money Found in Ancient Netherlands Cult Burial
A metal detectorist discovered ancient gold coins in the Netherlands that turned out to be a cult ritual offering. Experts believe the money left at the location was 'devil's money,' an offering to pagan gods. The worship site likely had ties to summer and autumn equinoxes thanks to the discovery of seasonally aligned post holes. A metal detectorist recently came across a cache of more than 100 gold and silver coins buried underground in the Netherlands, prompting archaeologists to come further investigate the site. But knowing now what the coins were there for, perhaps the archaeologists should've left them alone. According to a new study published in Medieval Archaeology, the coins, which sat buried for 1,300 years in the Netherlands, were likely used in cult rituals, and further around the site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a seventh-century open-air cult site. It's more than plausible that the cache of coins was what was known as 'devil's money,' coin offerings common at pagan cult sites. The metal detectorists made the find near Hezingen, a hamlet near the Netherland's border with Germany. The coins are from around 700 A.D.—including some rare finds from the mints of the Frankish Empire—and were found along with metal jewelry in 2020 and 2021. There were a number of clues that helped the archaeologists deduce that the site where the coins were found was once the stomping grounds for a cult. There were rows of posts, evidence of a large residence in a clearing near an ancient road junction on a prominent elevated landscape, remnants of animal sacrifices, and more. They also determined that the gold coins and jewelry were placed there in intervals over 100 years and interspersed with the animal sacrifices, making it clear that the site once served as a ritual sacrifice location for pagan gods. The archaeologists, led by Jan-Willem de Kort of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, located the signs of an old structure, likely from the sixth century, as well as 17 postholes for wooden posts that aligned with spring and autumn equinoxes, which tied the site to seasonal harvest rituals. 'The cult site was probably linked to a nearby high-status settlement with an enclosed cult house or ceremonial building,' the study authors wrote. 'The offerings may have been linked to fertility rites as the posts were aligned with the rising and setting of the sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes.' In all, the gold and silver coins were discovered in three areas. One site had a single gold coin, while another had 24 fragmented or complete gold coins, along with silver and gold jewelry. The third site featured gold coins and jewelry. 'I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that preeminently with valuables,' de Kort said, according to 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious.' The use of the site by elites and the timing of it all raises questions about the rise of Christianity in the area. The site's use curtailed in the 700s A.D., the study claims, earlier than the rise of Christianity in the region, leading the study authors to theorize that the area's leaders could have turned to Christianity earlier than others. As prominent missionary texts spelled out, to have pre-Christian groups convert to Christianity, they would need to stop worshiping pagan gods and cease the sacrifice of the so-called 'devil's money.' Since Hezingen was abandoned by the early eighth century when Christianity began to spread, the study authors suggest the leaders of the town—wealthy, as shown by the value of the gold and silver—were some of the first in the area to convert to Christianity. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeolgists Find Treasure at Ancient Pagan Cult Site
Archaeologists recently stumbled across a medieval pagan cult site in the Netherlands where they found a bounty of treasure. The findings were published in the journal Medieval to the article, gold and silver coins located with metal detectors in the town of Hezingen 'prompted archaeological excavations that have brought to light the remains of a 7th-century open-air cult site possibly connected with immigrants.' Hezingen was erected within a massive circular structure with wooden posts surrounding a peculiarly designed building which experts hypothesize to be the home of an elite leader, known as a Herrenhof. At the site, researchers found gold coins and jewelry which they believe were 'deposited there at regular intervals over a period of about 100 years.' A phosphate analysis revealed that animals were very likely sacrificed on the land before the area was abandoned around 700 A.D., which was 'at least half a century earlier than the formal Christianization of the area."Because paganism was not a monolithic religion, meaning there was not one specific god or deity worshipped by believers, and practices varied by location and over time, this recent discovery presents a remarkably rare insight into the regional cultist rituals which predated the birth of Christianity in northern Europe. The presence of the gold and silver coins would indicate that the site was used by cultural elites, as lower-status citizens would not have access to such treasure. But despite the cultish and ritualistic nature of the area, scientists say there is nothing to indicate which specific gods were worshipped at Henzigen or that any supernatural forces were summoned. "I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that pre-eminently with valuables,' lead author Jan-Willem de Kort, an archaeologist from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, told 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious."Kort continued: "The research was also born out of necessity, as the site was threatened by nature [sic] development. This would involve removing the topsoil to encourage the original vegetation to come back." Experts believe that ritualistic ceremonies were conducted at Hezingen in an attempt to please the gods and ensure strong harvests for the forthcoming year. 'The gods that may have been worshipped in Hezingen can be learned from a Saxon baptismal promise, handed down in a 9th-century codex,' the authors explained. 'This vow mentions the gods UUôden (Wodan), Thunær (Donar), and Saxnōte (Saxnot), who the reader of the promise must renounce.'
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Devil's money' discovered at medieval cult site
An early medieval archeological site in the eastern Netherlands likely hosted cult rituals involving the 'devil's money.' But while the ruins indicate a local belief system based on pre-Christian deities, the age of the find suggests a seismic cultural shift. The cultists may have been some of the region's first people to convert to the new faith. Knowledge about early medieval societies across the Germanic-Nordic world varies greatly by region. In some locations, well-excavated sites offer archeologists detailed looks at the cultic belief systems that existed before Christian missionaries first arrived in the 7th and 8th centuries. In others places like the Netherlands, however, knowledge of spiritual life before this religious shift remains more nebulous. These beliefs also weren't universal, so the pantheon of early medieval Germany didn't necessarily look exactly the same in the Netherlands. Learning details from this era often comes from archeological finds—even those that may initially seem relatively minor. Back in 2019, for example, a group of metal detector enthusiasts discovered multiple ancient coins in a field in the eastern Netherlands. These artifacts quickly drew interest from researchers, who soon traveled to the area to begin work. Over the next two years, a team including Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency archeologist Jan-Willem de Kort excavated portions of a complex they later named after the nearby hamlet, Hezengin. Their results, published in the journal Medieval Archeology, reveal a pre-Christian society on the verge of a potentially seismic cultural shift. But according to de Kort, the researchers were operating under a deadline—local land management plans called for disrupting and possibly destroying any remaining, hidden archeological finds. 'The research was also born out of necessity, as the site was threatened by nature development,' de Kort said in an accompanying statement on Tuesday. 'This would involve removing the topsoil to encourage the original vegetation (heath) to come back.' Their excavations eventually uncovered a large ring of 17 wooden postholes encircling both an 'unusually shaped building' and a potential Herrenof—the home of a local wealthy magnate. Archeologists identified three specific sites inside Hezingen based on where they found various artifacts likely left as offerings to deities. These included gold and silver jewelry, as well as small gold coins known as tremisses. Further investigation of the posthole locations also indicated they were carefully aligned to the spring and autumn equinoxes—meaning that Hezingen likely served as a location for seasonal agricultural rituals and religious rites. 'The four rows of poles are [aligned] exactly east-west. Because of the high elevation, the sun rises here at the spring equinox exactly in the east,' said de Kort. While the exact identities of the local gods and goddesses remain unknown, medieval missionary texts hint at who they could have been. In any case, it's that the Christian newcomers did not approve of them. 'The gods that may have been worshipped in Hezingen can be learned from a Saxon baptismal promise, handed down in a 9th-century codex,' de Kort and co-authors explain in their paper.' This vow mentions the gods UUôden (Wodan), Thunær (Donar) and Saxnōte (Saxnot), who the reader of the promise must renounce.' Missionaries were particularly offended by the gold and silver offerings, which they referred to as diobolgeldæ, or 'the devil's money.' Such extravagant gifts to the gods weren't common for most medieval people in the Netherlands. 'I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that pre-eminently with valuables,' said de Kort. Archeologists estimate these elites eventually abandoned the Hezingen site by the late 7th or early 8th century—an interesting timing, given the wider historical context. The team notes some of the first Christian missionaries, Plechelmus and Lebuinus, traveled through the region around 760 CE, while the very first Christian churches were also consecrated around the same time. But Christianity did not become common across the Netherlands for at least another century, implying that Hezingen visitors were some of the first to abandon their devil's money in favor of the new religion. Other theories may also help explain Hezingen's end. 'Perhaps the place was abandoned or even desecrated by missionaries, with almost everything of value taken away. Another possibility is that it was looted by thieves,' they write. Regardless of the reason, de Kort and colleagues stressed the importance of treating such discoveries with respect and care. '[T]he results should be studied with an open mind,' they write. 'Treasure finds should be approached first and foremost not as treasure but as archaeological sites.'
