Nebra sky disc

English

The Nebra sky disc

Alternative forms

• Nebra Sky Disc

Etymology

Named after the German town of Nebra, Germany, near which it was discovered in 1999.

Proper noun

Nebra sky disc

1. (archaeology) A bronze disc featuring gold symbols inlaid on a blue-green patina, generally interpreted as depicting the Sun or full moon, a lunar crescent and stars (including a group that may be the Pleiades), dated to circa 1800–1600 BCE and attributed to the Unetice culture of the early European Bronze Age.
   • 2013, Harald Meller, “Chapter 14A: The Sky Disc of Nebra”, in Harry Fokkens, Anthony Harding, editors, The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age, Oxford University Press, page 266:

     The Nebra Sky Disc is one of archaeology's prime finds because its cosmological iconography offers a unique insight into the mental processes of Bronze Age people.

   • 2013, Chris Impey, Holly Henry, “Dreams of Other Worlds”, in Paperback, Princeton University Press, published 2016, page 190:

     Discovered near the town of Nebra in Germany, the Nebra sky disc is believed by archaeoastronomers to be a Bronze Age durable sky map dating back to 1600 BC.

   • 2016, Robin Melrose, Religion in Britain from the Megaliths to Arthur, McFarland, page 50:

     The Nebra sky disc, dated to 1600 BC, was found on the Mittelberg, a hilltop site near Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, along with two bronze swords, two hatchets, a chisel and fragments of spiral bracelets.

Translations

bronze disc dating from the European Bronze Age

• French: disque céleste de Nebra m
• German: Himmelsscheibe von Nebra f
• Italian: Disco di Nebra m

Further reading

• Trundholm sun chariot on Wikipedia.Wikipedia