The first people

There were people living in the Netherlands 250,000 years ago. We know this because some of the tools they used have been found. One of their favourite tools was a sharpened stone called a hand axe. It was used for all kinds of different jobs, just like we use pocket-knives today. People did not have metal objects then.

Archaeologists have also found many Hunebedden (ancient burial tombs) in the Netherlands. These tombs are almost 5,000 years old. They are built of large stones that can weigh as much as 40 tonnes.

The Romans

In the year 57 BC, the Romans moved into the south of the Netherlands. They stayed there for a few hundred years. The Romans built roads and bridges. They also started cities like Maastricht and Nijmegen.