7,000 years old German “Stonehenge” predates site in England

[Zyklop]

7,000 years old German “Stonehenge” predates site in England

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Solar observatory in Goseck, Germany, as it might have appeared in 4900 B.C. The circle has three gates. To an observer standing at the centre of the circle, the sun rises and sets through the southern gates on the winter solstice.
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Archaeologists have found the site of a German Stonehenge that is 2,000 years older than the British one. The circle represents the remains of the world’s oldest astronomical observatory.

Coupled with an etched disk recovered just 25 kilometres away from the site, the observatory suggests that Neolithic and Bronze Age people measured the heavens far earlier and more accurately than scientists had previously imagined.

It was discovered by the town of Goseck, nestled in the district of Weissenfels in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. As details of the find were made public it was described as a “milestone in archaeological research” and as “one of the oldest holy sites” discovered in Central Europe.

Discovered from above

First spotted by airplane, the circle is 120 meters wide with gates, one of which works like Stonehenge to direct the sun's rays onto a central point at sunrise on mid-summer’s day.

In contrast to Stonehenge, the rings were not made up of giant rocks but of thousands of oak-wood stakes that have not survived the passage of time. Only the marks in the ground where the stakes once stood have remained - and have now been discovered by the archaeologists.

Aerial view of the site.
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Originally, it consisted of four concentric circles – a mound, a ditch and two wooden palisades about the height of a person – in which stood three sets of gates facing southeast, southwest and north, respectively. On the winter solstice, someone at the centre of the circles would see the sun rise and set through the southern gates.

Although aerial surveys have demarcated 200-odd similar prehistoric circles scattered across Europe, the Goseck structure is the oldest and best preserved of the 20 excavated thus far, and it is the first circle whose function is evident.

Though called the German Stonehenge, erected by the earliest farming communities between the Stone and Bronze Age, came 3,000 years before the last construction phase of the megaliths of Stonehenge in Great Britain. The linear designs on pottery shards found within the compound suggest that the observatory was built in 4900 B.C.

The nearby forest contains 1 000 barrows or princely graves from the period, but little else is known about the lost people, who are not mentioned in ancient Greek or other Mediterranean sources. Two bronze swords found at the site had been made with a technique unique to Mycenaean and Anatolian swords, and had a similar shape to arms found in modern Romania and Hungary.

Sacred place

Instead of the usual four gates leading into the circular compounds, the Goseck monument has just three. The walled-compound also consists of an unusual formation of concentric rings of man-high wooden palisades. The rings and the gates into the inner circles become narrower as one progresses to the centre, indicating perhaps that only a few people could enter the inner ring.

The southern gates marked the sunrise and sunset of the winter and summer solstice and enabled the early Europeans to determine with accuracy the course of the sun as it moved across the heavens. The site was constructed for the observation of astronomical phenomena such as the movements of the sun, moon and stars, and for keeping track of time. These celestial cycles would have been important for the sowing and harvesting of crops in the early civilization.

Human sacrifice?

The site is not merely a “calendar construction”, but rather is clearly a sacred building. Archaeologists have found plenty of evidence to prove that Goseck was a place of prehistoric cult worship. The arrangement of human bones, for instance, is atypical of burial sites. It is not uncommon for such astronomical observatories to function as places of worship and centres of religious and social life.

In addition to pottery shards and arrowheads within, excavators found the decapitated skulls of oxen, apparently displayed on poles, and parts of two human skeletons. The human bones were cleaned of flesh before being buried. Similar skeletons - several with cut marks or with arrowheads in their necks - have turned up in other circles, but archaeologists cannot agree on whether they attest to human sacrifices or to uncommonly gory funeral rites. Such ceremonies indicate that the site had the function of a temple.

The third gate

The circle has three gates. To an observer standing at the centre of the circle, the sun rises and sets through the southern gates on the winter solstice.

The northern and third gate still remains a mystery and its function is unknown. It points north, but not quite. It may have nothing to do with astronomy, for the compound was more than a solar station.

It may be noted that Norway, where very few Neolithic remains have been found since agriculture was developed on a later stage than in Denmark and Sweden, actually have two sites which both have three gates. One is Lunderhaugen at Tilrem. It is a “compass” in a the form of a stone triangle, where each side is 22 meter, and one of the “gates” points directly toward north.

[Fraxinus Excelsior]

If you're interested in megaliths, you might like The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map.

[Ederico]

Does it predate the Maltese Megaliths, those are, to date, the oldest in the world.

[Antiquarian]

Originally Posted by Ederico Figallo

Does it predate the Maltese Megaliths, those are, to date, the oldest in the world.

If the German site dates to around 4.900 BC then it is of a comparable date to the Maltese sites, but I still presume the Maltese sites are slightly older than this though.

[Aistulf]

Wasn't the actual Stonehenge in Britain believed to have been made by "Swiss" (read: from the area of modern-day Switzerland) tribes who've settled in the British isles?

[Milesian]

Sorry, the megaliths of the Ceide Cliffs in North Mayo were already thriving by 5000 BC

[Arawn]

[qyuote]Wasn't the actual Stonehenge in Britain believed to have been made by "Swiss" (read: from the area of modern-day Switzerland) tribes who've settled in the British isles?[/quote]

At ther very least a Swiss connection. One grave near StoneHenge which seemed important, had a body of someone who lived in Switzerland for part of his life, as determined by the composition of tooth enamel or something. Intresting stuff, the minerals that make up your bones can be traced geologicly with a fair degree of accuracy, so that its possible to tell where a body grew up/ once lived.

[Cato Censor]

It is correct to be aware that megaliths structure have been made by non indoeuropean people. It's not a 'germanic' site, like stonehenge is not a 'celtic' site.
After the conquering of Europe by our ancestors, these Sacred Places of neolithic people ( merged ) became places of worship also for the new rulers ( germans, celtic, italics, hellenics etc..)
Any way, refinding these Holy Traces of our Tradition, one must be well aware of what we need to do to the ReAwakening : DELENDA EST CARTHAGO.

Valete Bene.

CENSOR

[Vitor]

Originally Posted by Cato Censor

It is correct to be aware that megaliths structure have been made by non indoeuropean people. It's not a 'germanic' site, like stonehenge is not a 'celtic' site.
After the conquering of Europe by our ancestors, these Sacred Places of neolithic people ( merged ) became places of worship also for the new rulers ( germans, celtic, italics, hellenics etc..)

Not exactly true, we are still mostly descendent from those non indo-european people...
At least those of us that are from the west!

Indo-europeans are not our ancestors. (maybe only a tiny portion of us)

[Milesian]

R1b to the Core?

[Vitor]

Originally Posted by Milesian

R1b to the Core?

YES!

[Cato Censor]

Originally Posted by Vitor

Not exactly true, we are still mostly descendent from those non indo-european people...
At least those of us that are from the west!

Indo-europeans are not our ancestors. (maybe only a tiny portion of us)

Lusitanii, in History and Archeology, is a celtiberian people.
With a indoeuropean tribal structure, warfare and language....

I wrote that indoeuropean merged with neolithic people.
But you cannot compare the ancient celtic invasion of Iberia with the visigothic one for example... the first one was massive, when the inhabitants density of Iberia didn't high... instead of the germanic invasions of 420 c.e. for example.

The Iberians mantained the control of the coasts in the east, celts seattled the middle and particular Lusitania... mergin' with iberians.

Indoeuropeans are certainly your ancestors almost like iberians ( that was not indoeuropeans)...

Vale Optime.

CENSOR

[Vitor]

indoeuropean merged with neolithic people.
But you cannot compare the ancient celtic invasion of Iberia with the visigothic one for example... the first one was massive, when the inhabitants density of Iberia didn't high... instead of the germanic invasions of 420 c.e. for example.

The Iberians mantained the control of the coasts in the east, celts seattled the middle and particular Lusitania... mergin' with iberians.

Indoeuropeans are certainly your ancestors almost like iberians ( that was not indoeuropeans)...

I am afraid that it was more of a culture propagation (at least in iberia), it was not massive like you said, the indo-european (neolithic) people mixed on the way...when they arrived in Iberia they were mostly composed of UP.


How do you explain stuff like this (see attachment)

[Cato Censor]

Originally Posted by Vitor

How do you explain stuff like this (see attachment)

That is only a chart expressing the blood B group presence...

Look at Cavalli-Sforza maps of components identified (nuclear DNA) for Europe... it is more complex..

Anyway I don't mean to negate atlantic heritage of Iberian, but maybe saying that indoeuropeans ARE NOT your ancestors it's a bit forcing ..
Vale Semper.


CENSOR

[Vitor]

I disagree with you...

Yes we have some of that indo-european blood, maybe that is why we have 15% of neolithic blood...

Basques don't have any indo-european heritage, and they are like the Iberians (without the neolithic blood)

Indo-european equals middle eastern haplogroups.
B blood was introduced with the neolithic "invasions" !

[Vitor]

Most europeans are UP, the most common haplogroup is R1b (basque haplogroup), then R1a...

[Cato Censor]

Originally Posted by Vitor

Most europeans are UP, the most common haplogroup is R1b (basque haplogroup), then R1a...

This is controversial as you know well.
Anyway, coming back to the topic, that 7000 years old sanctuarium wasn't made by "germanic tribe" in the same manner that stonehenge is NOT a 'druidic' ( celtic 'priest') monument. Ok ?
Memento anyway that NECESSE EST DESTRVERE CARTHAGINEM.

Vale Optime.

CENSOR