Clepsydra of the Bronze Age from the Central Donbass

In the article presents the results of the multidisciplinary study conducted with the help of archaeological, physical and astronomical methods. The aim of the study was to analyze and interpret marks and drawings applied to the surface of the vessel of the Bronze Age (Srubna culture) found near the Staropetrovsky village in the northeast of the Donetsk region (the Central Donbass). The carried out calculations and measurements possible to prove that Staropetrovsky vessel is the most ancient water clock, discovered on the territory of Europe, and have approximately the same age as the oldest known ancient Egyptian water clock. Such vessels - water clocks were needed for Srubna population to rituals related to the determined time of day and to mark sundial, which had recently been discovered in the Northern Black Sea Coast. Staropetrovsky vessel has a marks of heliacal rising of Sirius and it is an ancient astronomical auxiliary instrument for determining the time at night

Marks of heliacal rising of Sirius on the sundial of the Bronze Age

The article presents the results of interdisciplinary research made with the help of archaeological, physical and astronomical methods. The aim of the study were analysis and interpretation corolla marks of the vessel of the Late Bronze Age, belonging to Srubna culture and which was found near the Staropetrovsky village in the northeast of the Donetsk region (Central Donbass). Performed calculations and measurements revealed that the marks on the corolla of Staropetrovsky vessel are marking of horizontal sundial with a sloping gnomon. Several marks on the corolla of the vessel have star shape. Astronomical calculations show that their position on the corolla, as on "dial" of watch, indicates the time of qualitative change the visibility of Sirius in the day its heliacal rising and the next few days in the Late Bronze Age at the latitude of detection of Staropetrovsky vessel. Published in the article the results of astronomical calculations allow to state that astronomical year in the Srubna tradition began with a day of heliacal rising of Sirius. Vessel, corolla, marks, sundial, gnomon, Srubna culture, heliacal rising, Sirius, archaeoastronomyComment: arXiv admin note: formerly part of arXiv:1504.03905v

The prototype of ancient analemmatic sundials (Rostov Oblast, Russia)

The article presents the results of a study of petroglyphs on a unique stone slab discovered near the kurgan 1 of the kurgan field Varvarinsky I (Rostov Oblast, Russia). During the study was done comparing it with plates of Srubna burials on which were depicted the petroglyphs. Similar features for all the considered slabs are elliptically arranged wells. Groove made to Varvarinsky stone slab, has the same parameters as the ellipse from the wells on the slab of the kurgan field Tavriya-1, discovered in the Rostov region, too. With the help of astronomical methods previously been proved that elliptically located wells on the Srubna slabs are hour markers of analemmatic sundial. By results of the use of similar methods to study complex of petroglyphs on Varvarinsky slab, it was concluded that the slab could be used for development of the technology of markup of sundial on different geographical latitudes. Also, Varvarinsky slab could serve as a model example for a markup of the ellipse on which subsequently extorted wells for latitudes, close to the latitude of the place of slab detection. Thus, Varvarinsky stone slab is the prototype of analemmatic sundials, discovered in the Rostov and Donetsk oblasts

Archaeoastronomical studies of the pillars complex of the Bronze Age on the Karataevo fortress

The article presents the results of archaeoastronomical analysis of the pillars complex of the Bronze Age, the pillar pits of which were discovered during archaeological excavations at the Karataevskaya fortress in 2001. In the course of the study, it was found that the pillar complex was actually a small ancient astronomical proto-observatory, which could be used in the process of observing the features of the visible motion of the Sun and the Moon. With its help, it was possible to record the sunrise / sunset of the Sun and Moon in astronomically significant directions. The cult building on the fortress and the large linear part of the defensive wall of the Karataevo fortress were oriented in one of these directions - towards the southernmost sunrise of the High Moon (southern major standstill moonrise), or the most northern sunset of the High Moon (northern major standstill moonset)

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)