Medieval Cult Site with Gold Offerings Discovered in Netherlands

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare 7th-century cult site in Hezingen, Netherlands, featuring gold and silver offerings linked to pre-Christian rituals. The site, revealed through metal detecting, includes a series of posts aligned with equinoxes, suggesting it was used for fertility rites over approximately 100 years. Findings indicate that offerings were made to deities before the area underwent Christianization, with evidence of animal sacrifices also present. The research highlights a significant cultural transition as local inhabitants likely began to adopt Christianity, evidenced by the eventual abandonment or desecration of the site. This discovery adds valuable context to the understanding of early medieval spiritual practices in a region that has yielded fewer cult sites compared to others in Europe. Published in the journal Medieval Archaeology, the study illustrates the complexities of belief systems during this transformative period.