The oldest solar observatory in the world

Archaeologists take 12 years to realize that the giant circular channel hidden under a field in Germany is the remnant of an ancient Sun Observatory.

Discover the earliest solar observatory in the world

According to Ancient Origins, in 1991, the German government inspector while photographing the town of Goseck from the air, discovered a huge circular groove hidden under the field . Years later, new archaeologists learned that was the remains of an ancient Sun Observatory .

Also in this area, archaeologists discovered traces of burning rites and human bones with cuts. They came to the conclusion that this was not only a place to observe the sky but also to perform human sacrifices.

Goseck circle after being restored.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons).

Goseck circle is a Neolithic building, with the gates in the direction of the Sun rising and setting on the day (winter solstice and summer solstice). The first European civilization was the author of this work, long before cultures in Mesopotamia and Egypt with pyramids.

Dubbed the "Stonehenge" of Germany, the circle made up of these vertical stones is defined as dating from 4900 BC. Hundreds of such wooden circles were built within 200 years around this time. Previously, archaeologists mistakenly thought that these circular grooves were ancient fortifications. The circle in Germany is the most well-studied place, among 250 similar ones throughout Austria, Czech, Slovenia and Croatia.

From the broken pieces of pottery found, scientists determined the culture of hand-clipped pottery (Stichbandkeramik) of Germany built this work. These pieces of pottery have been dated to about 4700 BC. Thus, it can be seen that this observatory area has been used for about 200 years.

These ceramic pieces mark the transition from the "straight" ceramic period - characterized by linear pottery designs to hand-painted pottery. Archaeologists have not found any information about the language or the people who built this circle, can only speculate about their religious beliefs.

Some argue that circles are a type of calendar that farmers rely on to calculate the planting date. However, when excavating this 6,000m ² area, archaeologists also found remnants of headless remains and animal bones, indicating possible sacrifices or burial rituals. took place here.

From the remaining traces, they determined the original structure of the Goseck circle, including two wooden fences, a mound and 4 concentric circles. The outside diameter of the circle is 75m. A narrow groove encompasses wooden walls, with 3 doors opening 3 to the North, Southwest and Southeast.

If standing at the center of this work on the winter solstice on December 21, it is possible to see the Sun rising at the Southeast gate and diving at the Southwest gate. The gates are designed in a small way that gradually points toward the center, so that the sun's rays can be directed in a narrow path. The role of the northern gate is still being studied.

Yellow lines show the direction of the sun rising and setting on the winter solstice.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons).

Goseck circle is considered the oldest solar observatory in the world.It is located on the same latitude as the Stonehenge stone circle in England , while the longitude is only a minute to the north (equivalent to 1,000 meters). Both lie exactly at the latitude where the Sun rises and sets in mid-summer creating a right angle to the diving direction (north) and growing (south) of the Moon. The position of the circle is also one of only two places in the world to see the full moon at the highest point (zenith) right on top of the head.

One of the interesting things about the Goseck circle is the resemblance to a copper plate found 25km away, called the Nebra Sky disc . The disc has a diameter of 32cm, dating to about 1,600 years BC.

On the plate are images depicting the oldest known universe, including a full moon, a crescent moon, a cluster of seven stars, defined as the image of the starburst. There are also three arcs. All of these patterns are made from gold leaf, on a purple-blue disc background.

The angle between the southwest and southeast gates of the Goseck circle is 82 degrees, which is the same angle as the horizon line marked on the plate. Two arcs opposite each other on the plate, with an angle between the lowest points of 97.5 degrees, dawn and sunset on the winter solstice in central Germany at that time. Similarly, the angle between the highest points marks the sunrise and sunset on the solstice.

Today, the positions of the sun rising and setting on the day are a bit changed, according to Wolfhard Schlosser, an astronomer at the Ruhr University. Therefore, these angles are slightly different from the angle on the disk and circle (1.6 degrees when the Sun rises and 2.8 degrees when the Sun goes down).

The pattern on the plate resembles the circle of Goseck.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons).

Today, Goseck is considered a major archaeological discovery, providing scientists with an insight into the spiritual world of the first European farmers. They worship the Sun like God, giving life and changing seasons all year round. Observing seasonal weather changes plays an important role in people's understanding of nature at that time. In 2005, the government of Goseck spent more than $ 100,000 to build this ancient observatory.