shit man this got me emotional
left: the Nebra sky disc, circa 1600 BCE, showing the Moon, Sun, and stars in gold on copper - the oldest depiction of the cosmos in the world
right: the Webb Space Telescope, July 2022, revealing thousands of baby galaxies forming in the early days of the universe - humankind’s deepest look into the sky
Here’s some extra photos of the disc from when it was exhibited just in case
Text from the images:
The Nebra Sky Disc
Found in Germany, the Nebra Sky Disc is the oldest known material depiction of cosmic phenomena in the world. It reveals the creativity and advanced astronomical knowledge of cultures without writing.
The distinctive rosette of seven stars represents the Pleiades. These stars play a key role in an ancient rule, known from a 2,700-year-old Babylonian text, that allowed the shorter lunar year to be kept in step with the solar year. A leap month should be added every third year if a crescent moon a few days old appears next to the Pleiades in the springtime sky.
The Nebra Sky Disc was made using gold from Cornwall and bronze from central Europe. It was remodelled as its meaning and use changed. Like Stonehenge’s alignment, the bands on either side marked the positions of the rising and setting sun over the course of the solar year.
Gold and bronze Nebra, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany about 1600 BC State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
