Sacrificed gold

What could have been the feelings of the person who let all this gold slide into the water? The pain of parting with so many coins and jewellery? Pride because it felt good to be able to make such a great sacrifice to the gods?

Almost two thousand years ago, someone deliberately chose to leave this treasure behind for eternity in a swampy place, along a stream near the village of Beilen. And this is not the only impressive sacrifice. Around 400 CE, treasures were also sacrificed near other villages such as Olst, Velp and Rhenen. It's hard for us to imagine. Sacrifice the most beautiful, expensive or dearest things you have - would you do such a thing? 

The neck rings of this treasure are absolutely special. Note the decorations, made with the help of small pattern punches. The style is Germanic. At one time a distinguished Germanic man showed off with it. 

It is unclear why the rings are rolled up. Were they deliberately made useless, or did they bend them to make them fit in a jar or pouch? Note the beautiful designs on the gold ‘solidi’ coins, which were struck between 364 and 408. Coins from another treasure were also found at the same site. That hoard was probably even bigger!