Worldly jewels 

Imagine this beautiful, dramatic scene. See the gold bracelets shining as they (1) slide off the woman’s wrists. With visible reluctance she also takes off the bead necklace (2). Note how one of the blue beads matches the blue of her eyes. Then the necklace follows the bracelets into the peat bog.  

Bronze Age people wanted to emphasize that they were cosmopolitans. This is reflected in the jewellery sacrifices, such as this necklace found near the village of Exloo (3). The pewter and faience beads come from southern England, the amber ones from the Dutch or Scandinavian coast. The spectacle-shaped cloak pin (4) also comes from far away: southern Scandinavia. People who didn't have much jewellery sacrificed other objects, as may be concluded from the Roswinkel offering (5).