On the trail of the Bronze Age

The area around Uelsen is fascinating in many ways, both from a geological and archaeological perspective. The archaeologically extremely interesting area consists mostly of gravel and sandy soils, and the partially very hilly landscape, interspersed with forests and meadows, is strongly influenced by the last Ice Age. About 230,000 years ago, the ridge extending from Enschede to Uelsen was formed as an end moraine of the Scandinavian inland ice sheet. Part of this ridge is the 85 m high Poascheberg, the second highest elevation in the county of Bentheim. At the highest point, the Lönsberg, there is a 35 m high observation tower that offers a unique view over the county of Bentheim, the Emsland, and the adjacent Netherlands.

Numerous archaeological finds have shown that the first humans lived in this area as early as the Stone and Bronze Ages. In 1840, an 11.5 centimeter high golden cup was found on the Spöllberg located northeast of Uelsen, which could be dated to the Bronze Age. The cup, estimated to be from around 1500 BC, is still considered the oldest gold vessel ever found in Europe. A replica of the cup can be admired in the Old Town Hall in Uelsen. The region around Uelsen is well known to many history enthusiasts due to its abundance of Bronze Age burial mounds and numerous settlement traces from the more recent Stone Age. Many of the barrows are still clearly visible today. Another collection of burial mounds can be found in Getelo, located southwest of Uelsen, in the so-called "Söven Pölle". Those who walk through this hilly area, mostly covered in heather, can come across countless more burial mounds in many places. From April to October, the Bronze Age farm in Uelsen invites visitors on a special journey of discovery. During this time, visitors have the opportunity to learn how our ancestors lived in this region more than 100 generations ago.