A new age

It is September 4, 476 CE. In distant Rome, Emperor Romulus Augustulus is dethroned and banished from the city. The power of the Roman Empire in Western Europe is over, which also becomes noticeable here, in the area now known as Drenthe. Although the Romans never managed to conquer the Northern Netherlands, their influence was certainly felt in these parts. 

Those were the early years of the Middle Ages. Great changes lie ahead: Christianity is spreading fast, new trade routes are found and social manners are changing. Of course, age-old traditions did not stop overnight. Even after 476 CE people kept depositing precious items in the swamps and burying kilos of gold. It is not always clear whether all of the findings were sacrifices to higher powers or perhaps mere attempts to secure valuables.