When we reflect on cloud bedecked, ancient German forests we picture primitive men gathered well beyond the influence of Roman Civilization. Indeed, we speculate on the barbarians’ mystical beliefs, punctuated by mighty gods, tricky gnomes, and beauteous, blonde, heroic maidens. Of course, in Ziegelroda Forest, near the village of Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt, about 45 miles from Leipzig, Germany, metal detectors made a discovery which changed forever this stereotypical view.
In 1999, while illegally searching through tumuli, those ancient mounds of stone and earth, two searchers came upon a small, but wonderful cache of two swords, tools, ornaments, and most astounding of all, a disc of intriguing design.
Its bronze patina gave it a general greenish, in fact sea blueish green tint. Spread across its 12 inch width were golden dots, an orb, and half moons. One segment seems to indicate the seven stars of the Pleiades, the Modern Seven Sisters, which are visible to the naked eye. Sadly, the looters damaged the find, but managed to sell off the hoard which traveled through various hands until its discovery by officials in 2002.
At last in the hands of proper archaeologists, the wonder began to unfold. The Nebra Sky Disc, for so it came to be called, was in fact an observation device for the cosmos. Whereas the gold inlaid dots represented stars, the various arcs were believed to represent the moon’s phases. When at last the looters showed the court where they found the items, the orientation of the discovery’s mound aimed toward the tallest of the Harz Mountains. Metallurgists identified the origin of the component parts, discovering only later that some of the gold came from as far away as Cornwall in modern England, and another segment came from the Carpathian Mountains.
This diversity indicated that additions were made as the heavens were more comprehensively understood over the years. Oh, and the dating on this disc is believed to be from 1600 BC based on the study of the early Bronze Age other items found with it. While some scientists challenged this find as a forgery, for it brought almost a million Marks in illicit trading, the consensus now is that it is, indeed, genuine. Changes a lot of what we think of those old Germanic tribesmen, now doesn’t it?
I chanced to see this wonder of astronomy in Halle, in Germany. Although the surrounding villages are quaint beyond imagination, set like tiny gems amidst green and lush valleys, I can still imagine those ancients’ spirits, watching from within the still well preserved forests. They smile when they know we now realize that they’d created a sort of mobile Stonehenge to better understand their world.
By MW Team Writer: John Davis
John William Davis is a retired US Army counterintelligence officer and linguist. As a linguist, Mr. Davis learned five languages, the better to serve in his counterintelligence jobs during some 14 years overseas. He served in West Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands during the Cold War. There he was active in investigations directed against the Communist espionage services of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. His mission was also to investigate terrorists such as the Red Army Faction in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, and the Combatant Communist Cells (in Belgium) among a host of others.
Click to Read John’s Complete Profile
This is such an intriguing find! I am always amazed at the Lost History we have yet to discover and learn from! Thanks for sharing John! Excellent!
There’s so much out there. I believe the English have a better system to share discoveries. The finder (when legally looking) gets a huge percentage of the find. That way the finder is not tempted to go to a shady dealer, and can get the discovery to the proper authorities.
Oh what a fascinating find thanks, for sharing Mr. Davis.
My pleasure, Strawshadow. I’ve been interested in metal detecting for years. Great to keep a detector in your trunk, and see what is around the next bend. I’ve found lots of neat things over the years.
John, I recently did some research on one of Forrest Fenn’s “featured questions” that led me to this item, among other things.
https://mysteriouswritings.com/featured-question-with-forrest-fenn-and-the-thrill-of-the-chase-forrest-levy/#comment-198556
Taking a longer look at it has intrigued me.
The gold strip along the right edge was once matched by an equal gold strip on the left edge. These strips mark the sunrise and sunset of the summer and winter solstices. They cover the exact degrees for this particular part of the world that the item was found in.
The sunrises are on the right side, the east, and the sunsets are on the left side to the west.
The stars are curious. The only ones that stand out are the stars that represent the Pleiades (upper right cluster).
The Big Dipper might also be represented (lower left). I’ve also seen some others possibilities mentioned in various search results, but they aren’t as obvious to the amateur eye.
With the Pleiades, that star cluster lines up with the vernal equinox. This at first confuses me. But once I see the other parts of the story a possible result emerges.
The sun and the moon appear obvious. Day and night cycles to go along with the sunrise and sunset alignments.
The stranger looking arced gold strip at the bottom seems to be a key point. Many scholars think it represents the “Sun Boat”. It’s the boat that carries the sun through the sky during the day and through the dangers of the underworld during the night.
In ancient cultures there are variations. In Egyptian beliefs the boat carried Ra through the night of the underworld to be reborn in the morning.
In Indo-European beliefs is represents the Sun Chariot. (I don’t know if there’s anything about the night involved there.)
So if we accept that this is a “sun boat”, and then also that the reference is to the mythological, now the Pleiades and the vernal equinox makes more sense. Because spring is rebirth, just as the morning sun is reborn.
Coincidentally Jenny just did a story about a game that deals with the underworld journey of the sun god Ra, if you believe in that sort of thing.
I forgot to include the link to Jenny’s game story.
So without further adieu, I give you:
https://mysteriouswritings.com/the-mysterious-origin-of-the-ouroboros-and-secrets-of-mehen/