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1000 year old marks in tree found near Prague
DiscoveryON ^ | 21 Aug 2009 | DO

Posted on 08/28/2009 11:50:37 AM PDT by BGHater

Czech archaeologists have uncovered a unique 1000-year-old mark engraved into an oak tree the remains of which were found near Celakovice in Prague, which is probably the oldest preserved sign of this kind in the world.

According to a report from the Czech News Agency, the real meaning of the 10-cm star-shaped mark on the oak trunk is not certain. Experts say it may have marked the territory or serve some iconic purposes.

This find is rare as so old engraved signs were not previously mapped and they are not systematically searched for either, archaeologist Jana Marikova of the Academy of Sciences (AV)'s Archaeological Institute, said.

Geologist Radek Mikulas, from the AV's Geological Institute, found the engraved sign by accident when he was searching for the actual age and state of the old oak trunks that were lifted near Celakovice during sand and gravel strip mining.

The mark was engraved into the trunk after the bark was removed from the spot, and this is why its traces were preserved. Experts estimate that the oaks were standing near the Labe (Elbe) River between 600-800 A.D. and the engraved symbol must originate from the early Middle Ages.

Archaeologist Dagmar Dreslerova points out that the tradition of engraving signs and ornaments date back to the Palaeolithic Era (Old Stone Age). However, only engravings made on stone, rocks and exceptionally on bones have been preserved, as wood and other organic material decompose with time.

The first written sources mentioning signs engraved into trees to mark land borders and paths come from antiquity.



TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: bark; carving; czech; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; history; prague; tree

1 posted on 08/28/2009 11:50:38 AM PDT by BGHater
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To: BGHater
Ping


2 posted on 08/28/2009 11:51:08 AM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: SunkenCiv

oops. ping.


3 posted on 08/28/2009 11:51:35 AM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: BGHater
Cool !!!!

Photobucket

4 posted on 08/28/2009 11:59:54 AM PDT by Jeffrey_D. (veritas odium parit)
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To: BGHater

leftover logo from the Genghis Khan “Hope and Change” campaign...


5 posted on 08/28/2009 12:02:56 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: BGHater
If they saw the whole thing, it would have said:

"* offer void in Utah."

6 posted on 08/28/2009 12:03:14 PM PDT by In veno, veritas (Please identify my Ad Hominem attacks. I should be debating ideas.)
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To: Jeffrey_D.

Looks more like a pentagram, which would make sense.

But who am I ?

http://www.ecauldron.net/pentagram.php


7 posted on 08/28/2009 12:05:34 PM PDT by Jeffrey_D. (veritas odium parit)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: BGHater

Its probably just a penis symbol. Europe is rife with them.


9 posted on 08/28/2009 12:29:26 PM PDT by King Moonracer (Bad lighting and cheap fabric, that's how you sell clothing.....)
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To: BGHater

Done in the middle ages? Egyptians were carving hyroglypic (sp?) symbols into stone 2000 years before this. What’s the big deal?

What next, they’ll find that someone in the middle ages painted a deer on a cave wall and declare it an important find.


10 posted on 08/28/2009 12:50:52 PM PDT by Brookhaven (http://theconservativehand.blogspot.com/)
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To: Brookhaven

‘What’s the big deal?’

It’s not a comparison to other cultures, but a old find on a Tree.


11 posted on 08/28/2009 12:54:47 PM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: BGHater

12 posted on 08/28/2009 1:24:26 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: BGHater; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks BGHater.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


13 posted on 08/28/2009 4:25:42 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: SunkenCiv

I’m just wondering how the tree was preserved if it was found in a sand and gravel quarry.


14 posted on 08/29/2009 6:38:55 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

The work crews wanted access to some shade after some hours in the hot sun? :’)


15 posted on 08/29/2009 7:39:18 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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