Nebra’s Celestial Disk: An Ancient Map of the Stars?

This disk is, therefore, the oldest representation of the night sky made by man. The Nebra disk is used to measure the angle of the Sun at the poles. Some theories say that it appears that ancient Europeans intentionally buried it thousands of years ago. At that time, they had been using this map for about 200 years and had even made some changes to hide some of the stars and add symbols to better accommodate leap months.

Archaeologists from the Goethe University in Frankfurt and the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich have reanalyzed all data related to the reconstruction of the discovery site and the surrounding circumstances of the area where the ancient copper disc was discovered.

The researchers’ findings show that the disk must date back to the Iron Age that is, it is approximately 1,000 years younger than previously assumed. This makes all the previous explanations about the Nebra Sky bronze disc become obsolete.

Nebra sky disk.

The Nebra Celestial Disk is one of the most important archaeological finds in Germany and was included in the UNESCO World Documentary Heritage in 2013. It was discovered during an illegal excavation in 1999 along with swords, axes and bracelets from the Bronze Age.

In addition, primitive excavation and the lack of knowledge of the antiquities hunting team damaged the outer edge of the disk and caused the loss of a piece of the golden arch and one of the stars. Although damaged, Nebra’s record was sold to an illegal antiques dealer in Switzerland. It wasn’t until 2002 that experts were able to find it.

It was discovered during an illegal excavation in 1999.

This context of discovery is important for scientific dating because the disk itself cannot be dated scientifically or archaeologically in comparison to other objects. Therefore, years of investigation by various research groups attempted to verify the origin of the discovery location, as well as the general origin of the objects, regardless of the vague information provided by the thieves.

At first, many people thought that the Nebra astronomical disk was a fake archaeological object. For example, Richard Harrison, professor of European history at the University of Bristol, once said in an interview : “When I first heard about the Nebra album, I thought it was just a joke, then I really thought it was a joke. ” is a fake article. Because it is such an extraordinary work that none of us would be surprised if it were created by some talented blacksmith and sold for a very high price. Harrison’s skepticism at the time was completely reasonable because he had never seen the record. However, after the disk was subjected to detailed scientific analysis, it was proven to be a genuine and precious artifact of humanity. In 2013, UNESCO recognized the Nebra celestial disk as documentary heritage and commented that it is the work “the oldest and most specific description of cosmic phenomena worldwide” .

The disc was subjected to detailed scientific analysis and was proven to be genuine.

The Nebra celestial disk is made of bronze and has a diameter of about 30 cm, weighs 2.2 kg and has a blue and green patina. The disc is also inlaid with golden symbols representing the image of a crescent Moon, the Sun or a full Moon and 32 stars (the stars also form a group of 7 which is said to represent the Pleiades star). Two golden arcs were later added to both sides of the disk at an angle of 82 degrees to accurately show the position of the Sun in summer and winter at the latitude of Mittelberg (51°N). While a smaller arch at the bottom represents a solar boat with many oars. There are around 40 small holes with a diameter of about 3mm drilled around the edge of the disc, allowing users to easily attach it to a piece of cloth and take it out.

Each symbol on the disc is part of ancient European beliefs. In particular, the Sun was worshiped by people as a sign of life throughout Europe; The Moon is used as a symbol to mark the passage of time. As for the Sun Boat, it is just the European mythological concept that at night a boat will take away the Sun.

The plaque also shows that its creators had connections to other cultures in Europe and beyond. The copper used to make the plates came from ores mined in Central Europe, while the gold came from Cornwall in England or Transylvania in Romania. The sword and ax designs found on the plate are typical of Unetice culture which stretched from central Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic. The spiral bracelets are similar to those found in Scandinavia and Ireland. Images of the Pleiades star cluster are also found in ancient cultures from Mesopotamia to Greece.

Each symbol on the disc is part of ancient European beliefs.

Most researchers believe that ancient Europeans used it as an astronomical clock to help them judge the right time (winter or summer) to start planting or harvesting. Consequently, the Pleiades star cluster It was a guidance sign for farmers in Mesopotamia and ancient Greece; It appeared in March and disappeared in October. Therefore, farmers in the region often depended on it to continue farming and ranching.

Ancient scholars mapped the stars for thousands of years through astronomical structures such as the Goseck Circle and Stonehenge. This shows that People have long known about the stars and basic astronomical events, such as solar and lunar eclipses . But according to previous discoveries, images of a real constellation were only recorded in Egypt in 1400 BC, until the celestial disk of Nebra was discovered.

People have long known about the stars and basic astronomical events, such as solar and lunar eclipses.

Despite its fame and importance, there are still many unanswered questions about the Nebra celestial disk. For example:

• Who created it and what is its purpose?
• How is it used and by whom?
• How accurate is it as an astronomical instrument?
• How did you get to the Mittelberg hills?
• Why was he buried and when?
• How did it survive for more than 3,000 years without corrosion or destruction?

However, most experts agree that it is authentic and dates back to around 1,600 BC. C. (i.e. 3,600 years) based on scientific analyzes of materials, design, context and astronomical characteristics.

If the Nebra disk had been found in Egypt or Greece, where civilization had reached a certain degree during the Bronze Age, perhaps it would not have been so intriguing. But the disk was found in northern Europe, a place considered barbaric at that time, where there were no large cities, no primitive forms of writing, and no signs of philosophy. All archaeologists have found in this area are just swords, spears and axes, a fairly primitive society. But the discovery of the Nebra celestial disk has made people think completely differently.

According to Harald Meller, director of the state museum in Halle, where the disk is kept, “Astronomical rules cannot be described without going through intense observations over many decades. Until the Nebra celestial disk was discovered, no one thought that the ancients had such precise astronomical knowledge and skills.”

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