The Universe of the Sky Disc
The image of the Sky Disc connects astronomical observations with mythical explanations. An abstract night sky forms the background. Its stars are carefully distributed so that no constellations are created, only one cluster is clearly highlighted: the Pleiades. Crescent moon and full moon or sun appear together. The golden horizon arcs are added, which trace the course of the sun between spring and autumn in the daytime sky. The boat travels between the horizons, perhaps carrying the moon or sun. It can move by day and night, but the curve indicates a prow pointing to the left – a journey through the underworld at night?
For thousands of years the opinion prevailed that a vault of heaven,to which the stars are attached, spans the Earth. Myths from different cultures tell about it. Also the Sky Disc can be imagined as a dome. The human scope of view is limited by the horizons – the mythical threshold which carries the Sky Barge.
Here you can find the films from the »Museum exklusiv« series of the State Museum of Prehistory »Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra: Bildprogramm« and »Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra: Entschlüsselung des Bildprogramms« (German version only).