Posted on 01/07/2017 2:17:32 PM PST by nickcarraway
A group of friends stumbled across an unusual arrangement of stones in Sicily, which experts have now confirmed form a prehistoric sundial dating back to the Bronze Age. "Making an archaeological discovery is in itself an important event, but to be part of one of the most sensational finds in recent years fills me with pride," said Giuseppe La Spina, one of the group which made the discovery.
He added that the fact the sundial was located in Gela, the town on Sicily's southern coast where he was born, "makes me very emotional".
La Spina and his colleagues came across the stones while carrying out surveys of World War II bunkers. Their report was read by Professor Alberto Scuderi, a regional director of Italy's Archaeologist Groups, who suggested the discovery get scientific confirmation.
The professor, who specializes in archeoastronomy, has been studying the find for three months, completing the work on Tuesday, January 3rd. Scuderi was due to present the full results of his analysis on Thursday at Gela's Archaeological Museum.
But a professional verification carried out on December 21st - the winter solstice - confirmed that the sundial would have been used to determine the season and solstices.
Experts used cameras, a compass and a GPS drone fitted with video recording equipment to check that the sundial worked.
The 'Sicilian Stonehenge' dates back to between 6000 and 3000BC, and is located close to the prehistoric necropolises of Grotticelle, Ponte Olivo and Dessueri.
But according to La Spina, the "really exciting part" is that the site may hold more archeological treasures. He said that it was likely the area held more clues to the past, "no less spectacular than the sundial itself."
PizzaHenge?
Interesting.
Sicily! A crossroads of east and west. The greatest of Greek history as well as the high point of Islamic history (yes, it did exist). But are we now going back even further in time??
The author neglected to include a picture of the rocks.
A group of friends stumbled across an unusual arrangement of stones in Sicily which appear to be very large cement boots.
ther fixed it bada boom.
The Athenian tragic poet Aeschylus died in Gela in 456 B.C.
Among the ancient ruins found at Gela is a Hellenistic bath-house. Don't tell Barry.
The Athenian tragic poet Aeschylus died in Gela in 456 B.C.
Among the ancient ruins found at Gela is a Hellenistic bath-house. Don't tell Barry.
Malta is well known for megaliths that pre-date Sonehenge. So, probably the same people did this.
The stone dial was sitting around for thousands of years and some just w stumbled not it?
The stone dial was sitting around for thousands of years and someone just now stumbled onto it?
Importantly, a solar sundial needs several features, the most important of which are two markers for the solstices. This really matters to archeologists for an odd reason.
The axial tilt of the Earth is not the same as it has always been. Earth’s axial tilt oscillates between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees on a 41,000-year cycle. It is currently decreasing.
So if the solar observatory is very old, its solstice points are further apart than they would be today, and because this change in axial tilt happens in a stable way, you can calculate when the observatory was built.
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