TIEL, THE NETHERLANDS—The Guardian reports that a 4,000-year-old burial mound holding the remains of some 60 men, women, and children has been excavated in the center of the Netherlands by a team of researchers led by archaeologist Cristian van der Linde of Building History, Archaeology, Architectural History, and Cultural History (BAAC). The mound measures about 65 feet in diameter and has several passages. On the longest and shortest days of the year, the sun shone directly through these passages, making the mound a solar calendar, van der Linde explained. Two smaller burial mounds were also found at the site, which was used for burials for a period of about 800 years. One of the graves held a glass bead that had been imported from Mesopotamia, some 3,000 miles away. “Glass was not made here, so the bead must have been a spectacular item,” said team member Stijn Arnoldussen of the University of Groningen. To read about an Egyptian tomb oriented toward the winter solstice sunrise, go to "Winter Light."
