Posted on 12/22/2004 10:12:25 AM PST by blam
Earliest Depiction of a Rainbow Found?
By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News
Dec. 21, 2004 — An ancient bronze disc that looks a bit like a freckled smiley face may show the world's earliest known depiction of a rainbow, according to a report published in the new issue of British Archaeology magazine.
If the rainbow interpretation proves to be correct, the rare image also would be the only known representation of a rainbow from prehistoric Europe.
The round bronze object, called the Sky Disc, was excavated in 1999 at Nebra in central Germany. It was said to have been found at an ancient astronomical observatory site, similar to Stonehenge. While the disc, as most metal objects, cannot be accurately dated, its style and content suggest the Bronze Age.
“ I defy anyone to say that our rainbow theory is any less accurate than the prior theories. ”
Also, it was said to have been found with two metal-hilted swords that have been dated to 1,600 B.C., which experts believe is the likely date of the disc.
Harald Meller, director of the Halle Institute for Archaeological Research in Germany, where the Sky Disc now is on exhibit, proclaimed the object a priceless treasure upon viewing it.
While Meller and colleague Bettina Stoll-Tucker, who is a researcher at Halle, were unavailable for comment, Stoll-Tucker referred me to a description of the disc that, in part, reads, "The Sky Disc of Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt), discovered in 1999, is one of the most important archaeological finds of the last century.
"The bronze disc with gold appliqués shows the oldest concrete representation of the cosmos to date worldwide and is thus a key find not only for archaeology, but also for astronomy and the history of religion."
Wolfhard Schlosser, an astronomer at Ruhr University of Bochum, further interpreted the seven gold dots to be the Pleiades, a cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus. Schlosser believes that the disc shows Pleiades as it would appear in the autumn.
The German scientists interpret the arc shape to be an Egyptian sun ship that, in myth, pulled the stars around the heavens.
The new rainbow theory, which runs counter to the German opinion, developed almost as serendipitously as a rainbow appearing between clouds.
Howard Davies, a Cardiff chartered surveyor, saw the disc on television and contemplated it as he walked home in the afternoon from a pub. He looked up at the sky and it suddenly dawned on him that the Sky Disc did not show the Pleiades, but instead depicted stars visible during the day.
He suggested that everyone was viewing the disc upside down.
British Archaeology flipped the disc around so that the boat-shaped arc faced downward, and ran the photo in a recent issue with an invitation for readers to send in their views. A number of readers and the magazine's editor, archaeologist and author Mike Pitts, all agreed that the arc was a rainbow.
"It actually does have parallel lines running down the length of the arcs," Pitts said in an interview with Discovery News. "I defy anyone to say that our rainbow theory is any less accurate than the prior theories."
The new theory holds that, in addition to the rainbow, the disc may show a snowflake, given that six spots appear around another central spot.
Pitts believes the disc could have illustrated an early myth.
"Since the object likely dates to 1,600 B.C., there is no way to find out what stories and legends were being told at that time," Pitts explained. "Somewhere there is a lost story that probably is linked to the disc."
Pitts, who also is an expert on megalithic monuments and is the author of "Hengeworld," researched early rainbows in history and art, and found surprisingly few. He said some petroglyphs contain arc-shaped images. Even Stonehenge has groupings of three stones that form arc shapes, but it is unclear whether these are meant to be rainbows.
One of the earliest mentions of a rainbow is in the Bible. In the book of Genesis, God makes an agreement with Noah after the flood that is sealed with a rainbow.
The passage reads, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life."
Pitts said rainbows need not always be such positive symbols, and it is unclear what meaning the rainbow might have had for the proposed Sky Disc myth. What is clear to Pitts is that the image probably is not a boat.
He said, "It certainly has more of a rainbowy feel to it."
I believe it has been established that Forrest Gump originated the smiley face. The person who made this disk was at least as sophisticated.
Rainbowy Feel?!!
How very scientific!
In a related story, beside the rainbow archaeologists found a sticker of a cartoon "Calvin" pissing on a chariot. LOL
Yeah but, he says that about everything!
Earliest known depiction of a freckled smiley face.
LOL!
(Doing my best Cliff Clavin)... Well actually it is a self portrait of a young warrior. The obvious black eye and contusions indicate a recent battle with possibly a rival suitor. The huge goofy grin, it is concluded, is because he was victorious. Archaeologists agree, he's gonna get some!
No, this is from a Neanderthal Jesse Jackstone, and his Rainbow Coalition, protesting against the unfair living conditions in caves belonging to dark haired cavemen.....
Looks like Al Gore...
It's undeniably a representation of the night sky. Unless the maker was listening to too much Dio, he wouldn't be depicting a rainbow here.
'he's got that rainbow feel,
such good responses,
but the rainbow has a beard...
Looks like stages of the moon to me. I don't see any rainbow.
What a relief that good, hard science is yet being done in the British Isles. Where is the part where the researcher/theorist acknowledges that the last five whisky and sodas were not really a good idea.
LOL Merry Christmas to you and yours Blam -- and All.
Flood was ~2300 B. C. No problem.
LOL!
Or a comet.
Was it found on the bumper of an ancient minivan, with a phony "hatred is not a family value" sticker, with two mommies in the van?
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