Trundholm sun chariot
The sun chariot of Trundholm, Danish Solvognen, is a sculpture from the late Nordic Bronze Age (around 1400 BC) in northern Europe. The original belongs to the inventory of the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen. The design of the solar car is also known from Greek / Roman, Chinese, Celtic, Persian, Egyptian and Indian mythology and points rather to a founding myth which had practically used in all highly developed cultures.
Fund history
The solar car was discovered in 1902 by a farmer while plowing. The eponymous locality is a moorland in the former municipality in Trundholm Nykøbing Sjælland in Denmark. Numerous copies were made for exhibition purposes. In 1996, a total of 21 previously missing fragments are backed up after an amateur archaeologist had found in Trundholm a fragment of the sun chariot and systematic excavations have been made. The original - particularly the wheels - has now been supplemented with these found objects, since it differs from the previously prepared copies.
Construction
The 60- centimeter-long sculpture is composed of cast bronze parts: On two axes is a horse, on another axis is about 25 centimeters wide, coated on one side with gold sheet disc with driven, concentrically arranged circular and meander patterns attached. The six four-spoke wheels are not completely preserved, although their free rotation is detectable on the axes. The axes of the disc and are connected to each horse. On the underside of the horse's neck, and the front edge of the disc slightly below the mid-height, the radicals of eyelets can also be recognized, that can be interpreted as the reins holder so that the disc directs the horse.
Interpretation
A real " cars ", that is, an essay between the axle and wheel missing ( and was never present), so Flemming Kaul interpreted the sculpture not as cars but as a metaphorical representation of the mythical sun ride. The wheels under both the disc and under the horse were attached solely for the purpose of mobility of the sculpture. He interprets the gilded side of the disc as the sun - the horse moves, considering this page, from left to right, just as the sun in the sky in the northern hemisphere on their apparent daily path. In the dark -left side, he sees the " dark side ", or the night journey of the sun through the underworld. The spiral ornaments could, similar to the " gold hats " be interpreted as a calendar. But there are also other interpretations possible, because only the color of the material associated with us the impression of a sun. Disc-shaped elements which due to the material are kept in other colors, may be interpreted differently.
Numeric - calendrical evaluation
Both sides (Gold / Bronze) show single and double symbols in the same arrangement, but partially in a different number. They are divided into circular symbol levels. Depending on how you count the double symbols ( single / double ) contains the gold side 44/52 symbols and the Bronze Page 44/ 54 If the first and second symbols level of both sides ( Gold Bronze) added, again the values for 52 and 54 These numerical evaluation shows three pairs of numbers: 44, 44, 52, 52, 54, 54
If for a calendar use a lunar month ( approximately 29.5 days) divided analogously its four moon phases into four equal periods of whole days, ie in the time scale " week ", come four counts of the 7 or the 8 this time next. Even solar and lunar years are counting from week increments, ie defined counts, computationally mapped, even without number system. If this method of counting used in a solar - lunar calendar, the solar year by 52 full 7er counts, the lunar year (12 lunations ) by 44 full 8- counts and the lunar leap year (13 lunations ) by 54 full 7er counts mapped, plus the remaining days from the past, not fully contained week.
The three numbers 44, 52, 54, which correspond exactly to the number of full counts for the solar year and the two lunar years are included in the ornament of the sun chariot each in duplicate. Due to the complex, numerically - exact arrangement in connection with the design of double symbols of the sun chariot is used as a " calendar item " for the computational imaging as well as for ritual accompanied by a functioning solar - lunar calendar. The foundations described by Thomas Lorenz, prehistoric era of Old Europe are also visible in the circle grave system of Goseck, at Stonehenge, as well as to other, important archaeological objects of the Bronze Age in Old Europe.
Importance
The sun chariot of Trundholm belongs - next to the Sky Disc of Nebra in 1999 found - to the most important findings from the European Bronze Age. The complicated casting process for the production of filigree parts indicates a high level of manufacturing technology. He is part of the cultural canon 2006.
Exhibitions
The sun chariot of Trundholm was to visit 15 October 2004 to 22 May 2005 in exhibition The forged sky with some 1600 other Bronze Age finds from 18 countries, including the Sky Disc of Nebra, the National Museum of Prehistory (Hall ). The exhibition was held at the National Museum in Copenhagen cooperation. In return, the exhibition was shown by Hall in Copenhagen ( 1 July to 22 October 2005). From March 4 to July 9, 2006, the exhibition was still visible in Mannheim. From 6 December 2006 to 25 March 2007, a copy of the car in the Focke- Museum in Bremen in the special horse-sacrifice - cavalryman. Driving and riding shown by the millennia.
A copy of the solar car is located in the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz.