Nebra Sky Disc: British Museum to display world's 'oldest map of stars'
By Francesca Gillett
BBC News
Published11 hours ago
Germany - Saxony-Anhalt - Halle: State Museum of Prehistory; reopening after reorganisation; the Nebra sky disk (1600 BC., Bronze Age Unetice culture) (Photo by Schellhorn/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Image caption,The Nebra Sky Disc belongs to a museum in Halle, Germany
An ancient object thought to be the world's oldest map of the stars is to go on display at the British Museum.
The Nebra Sky Disc is widely believed to be 3,600 years old, dating from the Bronze Age.
The bronze disc was unearthed in Germany in 1999 and is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th Century.
But its discovery has also been controversial, with a small number of scholars disputing its authenticity.
The Nebra disc measures about 30cm in diameter and has a blue-green patina emblazoned with gold symbols representing the Sun, Moon, stars, solstices and other cosmic phenomena.
According to Unesco, which includes the artefact on its global list of important historic documents, the disc gives a unique glimpse into humanity's early knowledge of the heavens.
More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58946633
