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The Nebra Sky Disc dates from the Early Bronze Age

The Nebra Sky Disc is considered to be the oldest concrete astronomical depiction in the world. For a long time the experts agreed that the find can be assigned to the Bronze Age. This year, two German prehistorians claimed that the disc came from the Iron Age, sparking controversy. However, new investigations published in the periodical “Archaeologia Austriaca” by the Austrian Academy of Sciences give the all-clear: the Sky Disc definitely dates to the Bronze Age.

www.nature.com

Archaeometallurgical investigation of the Nebra Sky Disc

The world heritage object Nebra Sky Disc is one of the best investigated archaeological objects. The origin of the raw materials it is made of is well known. However, its manufacturing process was not completely clear. Investigations were made in order to clarify the steps of manufacturing from the initial casting to the finished disc using the latest metallographic techniques. Therefore, a small piece from the outer part of the disc was investigated and compared with a replica. Both were prepared regarding the metallographic procedure. Microstructural analysis was made by optical microscopy on a colour etched surface, EDS and electron backscatter diffraction. For the investigation of mechanical properties microhardness measurements were made. It could be found that the Nebra Sky Disc was manufactured from a flat cast followed by hot forging process. During the forging process the disc was heated and forged for approximately 10 times.