Terps are artificial hillocks made by human hands. Between 500 BC and 1000 AD, villages developed on the Groningen terps. After the Wadden Coast was dyked in, terps became redundant and some were levelled off. Where terps were not levelled off, in many cases the village church was built on the highest point of the terp. The village of Niehove has retained its original structure and is an important place of interest for which it was crowned the Village of Tradition. The Het Hoogeland open-air museum in Warffum shows a terp village in its original environment. Wierdenland (Terp Area) museum is located on the outskirts of the terp village of Ezinge, and provides information about the history of the archaeological excavations. Het Hoogeland open-air museum shows a terp village in its original environs.