Sun stones were discovered from the Neolithic era. (Image: National Museum of Denmark)
Researchers have discovered that a “unique” collection of engraved stone plaques, known as “sun stones”, were seemingly sacrificed by prehistoric Scandinavians following a catastrophic volcanic eruption around 4,900 years ago.
The new research, published in the journal , links the deposition of these mysterious artefacts to the eruption, offering intriguing insights into the ritual practices of Neolithic Europeans and a prehistoric environmental crisis.
of these so-called sun stones was made in 1995 during excavations at the Neolithic site of Rispebjerg on Denmark’s Bornholm island.
However, it wasn’t until more recent digs at the archaeological site of Vasagard, a few miles from Rispebjerg, between 2013 and 2018 that they were found in significant numbers. Over stones were unearthed.
Co-lead author of the study Rune Iversen told : “One type of find that is completely unique to Bornholm is the so-called sun stones, which are flat shale pieces with engraved patterns and sun motifs. They symbolised fertility and were probably sacrificed to ensure sun and growth.”
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The stones were seemingly sacrificed by prehistoric people. (Image: National Museum of Denmark)
Archaeologists found the sun stones within a Neolithic site alongside remnants of ancient feasts, including animal bones, shattered pottery, and flint tools.
The site has revealed that were placed en masse around 2900 BC, possibly during a singular event. This insight led to a groundbreaking study showing that markings of the Sun were common on the stones.
The researchers managed to connect the placement of the sun stones to a volcanic eruption that had been identified in ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica.
The eruption under discussion likely occurred around the equator and can be dated relatively accurately to around 2900 BC, thanks to the ice cores.
that this eruption was potent and seemingly had far-reaching consequences for the people alive at the time.
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The first discovery of the sun stones was in 1995. (Image: National Museum of Denmark)
The motifs on many , which include images of the sun and fields, suggest they may have had a special significance for the people who created them.
Iversen concluded: “We have known for a long time that the sun was the focal point for the we know of in Northern Europe.
“They farmed the land and depended on the sun to bring home the harvest. If the sun almost disappeared due to mist in the stratosphere for longer periods of time, it would have been extremely frightening for them.
“It was obvious to see the depositions of such imagery as fertility offerings made to enhance the yield of the fields and an attempt to evoke the darkened sun.”