Tiel (Dutch pronunciation: [til] ) is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands. The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel-Avezaath, Tiel and Wadenoijen. The city was founded in the 5th century CE.

Tiel
Fortified dyke in Tiel
Fortified dyke in Tiel
Flag of Tiel
Coat of arms of Tiel
Highlighted position of Tiel in a municipal map of Gelderland
Location in Gelderland
Tiel is located in Netherlands
Tiel
Tiel
Location within the Netherlands
Tiel is located in Europe
Tiel
Tiel
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 51°53′N 5°26′E / 51.883°N 5.433°E / 51.883; 5.433
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceGelderland
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorFrank van der Meijden (CDA)
Area
 • Total
35.51 km2 (13.71 sq mi)
 • Land32.88 km2 (12.70 sq mi)
 • Water2.63 km2 (1.02 sq mi)
Elevation7 m (23 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total
41,920
 • Density1,275/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
DemonymTielenaar
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
4000–4007, 4013–4014, 4017, 4062
Area code0344
Websitewww.tiel.nl
Dutch Topographic map of Tiel (town), as of March 2014

The town of Tiel

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Tiel is the largest town in the Betuwe area, which is famous for being one of the centres of Dutch fruit production. Orchards in the area produce apples, pears, plums and cherries. Tiel once housed the famous jam factory De Betuwe. After production was moved to Breda in 1993, the entire complex was demolished, although a part was reconstructed later. Reminding of this industry is a jam manufacturing museum and a statue of Flipje, the raspberry-based comic figure who starred in De Betuwe's, jam factory advertisements since the 1930s.

Originally located on the Linge river Tiel became an important centre of trade in the early Middle Ages, especially after the demise of Dorestad in the 9th century. Tiel had two big churches, one of which, the St. Walburg, was a collegiate church that belonged to the Teutonic Knights and vanished after the Reformation while the other church, the St. Maarten, became Protestant. Much of the historic centre was destroyed during the Second World War.

Every year, on the third Saturday in September, a festival known as Fruitcorso is held to celebrate the fruit harvest from the Betuwe area. On this day, a parade of wagons, decorated with fruit, travels through the city. Appelpop is a free, two-day music event that is held yearly on the second Friday and Saturday of September.

Tiel has also been known for its pewter industry. The last pewter factory and museum, which mainly produced collectibles for tourists, went bankrupt in early 2004, but has since been revived.

Ancient history

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Stonehenge of the Netherlands
 
Map of Tiel, Netherlands
Created4000–4500 BCE
Discovered2017
Present locationTiel
(Artifacts that were found) Multiple institutions, including the National Museum of Antiquity in Leiden and the Flipje & Streekmuseum

Roman artifacts (Rings, statues, grave stones etc) have been found in Tiel.[5]

The "Stonehenge of the Netherlands" is an ancient site that is over 4,000 years old.[6] The structure shows a similarity to Stonehenge in southern England; so it was dubbed "Stonehenge of the Netherlands" by the local media.[7][8]

It was used as a burial mound and for religious practices.[9] It is located in Tiel, Netherlands, and its excavation started in 2017.[10][11] According to the town's website, this was the first such discovery in the Netherlands.[12][13][14]

The mound contained remains of around 60 individuals.[15] Three mounds were discovered; the main one is about 20 metres (65 ft) in diameter. Its passages align with the sun at equinoxes and solstices, and according to the archeologists it served as a solar calendar.[16][17][18]

Around one million objects, dating from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, have been found. The oldest artifacts can be traced back to 2500 BCE.[19][20][21]

One of the most interesting finds was a glass bead which is the oldest ever discovered in the Netherlands.[22] The archeologists think it originated in Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq.[23] The group assumes that the Bronze Age inhabitants of this area had contact with groups more than 3,000 miles away.[24][25][26]

The archaeologists also discovered offerings like animal skeletons, human skulls and bronze spearheads.[27][28][29]

Notable people

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General D H Chassé, 1832

Public service

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Mary Dresselhuys, 1982

The arts

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Sport

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Wilma van Velsen, 1984
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References

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  1. ^ "Burgemeester en wethouders" [Mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Tiel. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 4001MV". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ Sanou, Hanneke (2017-03-30). "Rich Roman haul surprises Dutch archaeologists". DutchNews.nl. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  6. ^ "Dutch archaeologists find 4,000-year-old shrine – DW – 06/22/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  7. ^ Dua, Shubhangi (2023-06-22). "4,000-year-old sanctuary discovered in Central Netherlands". interestingengineering.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  8. ^ "4,000-year-old 'Stongehenge of the Netherlands' site revealed by scientists | indy100". www.indy100.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  9. ^ "Archaeologists unearth 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge' burial ground in the Netherlands". WION. 24 June 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. ^ Ferrer, Isabel (2023-07-19). "'Dutch Stonehenge' reveals 4,000-year-old solar calendar". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  11. ^ "Dutch archaeologists find 4,000-year-old shrine – DW – 06/22/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  12. ^ Solomon, Tessa (2023-06-22). "4,000-Year-Old Stonehenge-like Sanctuary Unearthed in the Netherlands". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  13. ^ "4,000-year-old 'Stongehenge of the Netherlands' site revealed by scientists | indy100". www.indy100.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  14. ^ "Archaeologists uncover 4,000-year-old shrine dubbed 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands'". National Post.
  15. ^ LovecPokladu.cz. "Archaeologists uncover 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands' with huge surprise". LovecPokladu.cz. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  16. ^ Laura Geggel (2023-06-23). "4,500-year-old 'Stonehenge' sanctuary discovered in the Netherlands". livescience.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  17. ^ Brussels, Bruno Waterfield (2024-02-11). "Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old 'Dutch Stonehenge'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  18. ^ AFP (2023-06-21). "Archaeologists unearth 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  19. ^ "Dutch unveil 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge'-like discovery". phys.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  20. ^ Muzdakis, Madeleine (2023-06-30). "Archeologists Excavate 4,000-Year-Old "Dutch Stonehenge" in the Netherlands". My Modern Met. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  21. ^ "Dutch unveil 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge'-like discovery". Hürriyet Daily News. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  22. ^ Andrei, Mihai (2023-07-14). "The Dutch Stonehenge: ancient site in the Netherlands reveals its secrets". ZME Science. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  23. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Parker, Christopher. "Archaeologists Discover 4,000-Year-Old 'Dutch Stonehenge'". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  24. ^ Andrei, Mihai (2023-07-14). "The Dutch Stonehenge: ancient site in the Netherlands reveals its secrets". ZME Science. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  25. ^ "4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge' discovered in the Netherlands". New York Post. 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  26. ^ "Dutch unveil 4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge'-like discovery". phys.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  27. ^ Altuntas, Leman; admin (2023-06-21). "Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old Sanctuary in Netherlands". Arkeonews. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  28. ^ Boucher, Brian (2023-06-22). "The 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands,' a 4,000-Year-Old Burial Site the Size of Four Football Fields, Has Just Been Uncovered by Dutch Archaeologists". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  29. ^ "4,000-year-old 'Stonehenge of the Netherlands' unearthed by Dutch archaeologists". The Independent. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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