A famous Bronze Age astronomical clock called the Nebra Sky Disc is coming to the UK and will be displayed at the British Museum in London.
The Nebra Sky Disk will move to the city of London temporarily in 2021 according to an agreement between the State Museum of Prehistory in the city of Halle in Germany and the British Museum in London.
The archaeological wonder which dates back to 3,600 BC is currently planned for an exhibition held in the German city of Halle called “The World of the Nebra Sky Disk – New Horizons”.
After its German presentation, the disk will be sent to London.
The exhibition which will be held from 4th June 2021 to 9th January 2022 in the State Museum of Prehistory aims to commemorate the discovery of the disk and present over 400 other exhibits from around the world out of which many are newly discovered.
In return for the Nebra Sky Disk, the British Museum in London will loan high-ranking artifacts to the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle including the sheet-gold “Mold Cape” which is considered the most famous Bronze Age find in Great Britain.
Archaeologist Jan-Heinrich Bunnefeld said: “There are a total of 54 lenders from 14 countries. The first loan, of 50 copper bars, has now arrived.” The bars were the first form of the decimal system dating back to 3700 BC.
His colleague state archaeologist Harald Meller said: “The latest research will be presented. This includes insights into long-distance trade, social elites, beliefs, monumental grave and ritual structures with genetics results.”
Bunnefeld said: “Broken points on individual bars were repaired with a sleeve. It was probably important to the people that the bars remain in the original shape.”
The Nebra Sky Disk is an archaeological wonder which was found by illegal treasure hunters Henry Westphal and Mario Renner in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt in 1999.
It changed hands several times before authorities finally managed to seize it in the Swiss city of Basel on 23rd February 2002.
The Nebra Sky Disc is one of the most important finds of the previous century showcasing the full moon or the sun, the crescent moon and the Pleiades before a symbolic representation of the night sky.
After years of detailed research, evidence suggested that the disc was actually an astronomical clock used to harmonize the solar and lunar calendars.
It has been residing at the museum in the city of Halle since 2008.
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Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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