M. Yu. Nevsky | Searcharxiv

arXiv2021

Sundial-water clock of the Bronze Age (Northern Black Sea Region)

This article presents the results of a study of signs on a Bronze Age slab discovered in the vicinity of a heavily plowed mound near the settlement of Pyatikhatki. The slab belongs to the Dolmen archaeological culture. In the course of this research, it was proved that the Pyatikhatki slab is a unique measuring tool, that combines elements of sundial and water clock. It has all the cup marks of an analemmatic sundial, except for the presence of a precise analemma, which at that time, it seems, could not yet be built. The vertical gnomon moved only along the north-south line, and the time was determined approximately. Most likely, this was due to the lack of accuracy in measuring time using the water clock of that era. It is possible that it was their imperfection that was the incentive for the development of a new type of watch - a sundial, which would allow measuring time over a long period with a higher accuracy.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2016

Image of Inverted World Tree on the Stone Slab and Vessels of the Bronze Age

The article presents the results of the study of petroglyphs on a unique stone slab discovered near the kurgan 1 of the kurgan field Varvarinsky I (Rostov Oblast, Russia). Analysis of features of the location and style of petroglyph "tree" showed that the branches could determine semi-minor semiaxes m of the "dial" ellipses of analemmatic sundials with semi-major axis M = 24.2 cm for medium and high (northern) latitudes up to the North Pole and "tree" marks the direction to the North. The desire to construct a tool with which it was possible to build a "dial" for analemmatic sundial for different latitude up to the latitude of the North Pole could appear under the influence of the dominant mythological ideas about sacred geography of the surrounding world in which the North is the World Mountain, World Tree or the abode of the gods. In the article the authors conclude that the petroglyph "tree" on Varvarinsky slab marks the direction to the North as a projection of the North Pole of the world on the earth's surface, which simulates the slab. Petroglyph is an image of an inverted World Tree, when viewed from the gnomon / man. The trunk of the Tree corresponds to the astronomical world axis, and its branches symbolize the visible daily path of the Sun and, perhaps, the night paths of stars across the sky at different latitudes. During the research was carried out a comparative analysis of the petroglyph "tree" with images of the inverted tree on the Srubna vessels. According to the analysis it was concluded that a mythical World Tree of Srubna population is likely to be a tree of pine family. Sign of the inverted tree on the Srubna vessels has been interpreted by as a symbol of the direction of the North and / or the north pole of the world; and accompanying signs were interpreted as symbols of circumpolar stars and constellations (asterisms).

physics.hist-ph↗