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At 6.22 metres high, it is among the highest mounds in Groningen. When you drive into the village, you experience the difference in height very clearly. It is also said to be the most intact mound. That it is an old village is shown by the fact that the name 'Godlevingi' appears on a property list from around the year 1000. The origin of the name is not known. Possibly it means 'people of Godlev', Godlev (or Godlef) being a noble East Frisian man's name. Another explanation derives it from 'Godelinvigi', the 'place where Godlev lives' (a Celtic deity). Finally, a folktale states that it comes from a story; The inhabitants are said to have been starving during a flood and when peas (lentils) washed ashore, they saw it as a gift from God. About 200 metres from the village, a Carolingian burial ground was found. The well-known archaeologist van der Giffen found special historical objects here. These grave goods, such as weapons and jewellery, are all from the period between 750 and 800 and show that regional elites lived here.