A solar observatory in the lion-hunt painting at Vergina
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:43 pm
I thought that this article would interest you and thus I bring it to you!
As it is already known, the depiction of the wall painting that lies over the so called “tomb of Philip II” is a hunting scene. Hunters riders and on foot alike are depicted as hunting several preys in a valley with mountains on the background as well as rocky terrain on both sides.
I will not talk here about the great issue of the identification process concerning the hunters themselves. The researchers who feel strong about this being indeed Philip II’s tomb believe that the rider who attacks the lion on the right is Phillip himself and that the central rider is Alexander as a youth.
The two writers of the article that follows believe that the tomb is indeed that of Philip II. Their research was focused around the depiction of the bear rising from the rocky terrain on the far right of the painting. On an earlier research the bear itself had been perceived as a symbol of the Thrace region and thusly as a symbol of the victorious campaign Philip marched over that land.
The presence of the bear has been considered a major issue from the entire scientific community as the beast itself is an extremely rare motive in ancient Greek art. The two researchers hypothesized the following: In many written sources (Aristotle) the words Άρκτος (bear) means North (the largest star that is located at the tip of the Ursa Major constellation tail that almost coincide with the North Pole that, for the last 5000 thousand years remains in the same position) . So the depiction of the bear on the painting is actually a geographical landmark that symbolizes an event that took place in a northern location.
This event cannot be other than the Scythian campaign that started in 342 BC and ended in 339 BC with Philip having added to his domain a vast region seven times larger than the entire Macedonian kingdom before that event. Then the focus of the researchers was centered on the rock formations behind the bear and with the help of Bulgarian counterparts of theirs, they found the same rocks (you can compare the photos I attached it to the post to the ones on the painting) to be quite real and even more important.
They actually are a megalithic solar observatory and also probably a sanctuary in ancient Thrace near Buzovgrad in the Municipality of Kazanluk (you can google it). They are quite sure that these are indeed the same rocks that are depicted in the painting. The shape of the rocks has resulted from natural formations and human intervention. It is very possible for the painter himself to have seen the rock formation in question with his own eyes and then drew a small scetch of the site.
The two researchers go on to say that the megalithic observatory “was already in use from the Bronze Age for reckoning time through observation of the Sun’s orbit, as well as for mystery rites of the worship of the Sun and his Mother, the Thracian Great Mother. The observatory is near the Odrysian capital of Seuthopolis, which was clearly an important sacred place in the period of the Scythian campaign. It would be unlikely that Philip had not visited this sacred spot en route to the North; it is more likely that he visited it as a pilgrim, as there are no indications of rejection in its depiction. (…) The importance of the depiction of this solar observatory on the painting is enormous. By including it in the fresco, the painter illustrated in a unique fashion both a geographical region and simultaneously its inhabitants, for as the bent spear or javelin in her mouth suggests, the bear is a collective symbolic depiction of the defeated enemy. Furthermore it offers compelling evidence of Philip’s interest in astronomical phenomena and the sciences of his era.”
I would also like to add a thought of mine here. If the tomb is indeed Philip’s then there is no question that the painting was created by Alexander’s orders. He would surely like to honor his father’s victory in Thrace. Let us not forget that the painting would soon be covered by the earth...
My sources are
Despina Ignatiadou, John Hugh Seiradakis “The archaeological work in Macedon and Thrace 20 years” Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki 2009, p. 95
Best regards to all!
As it is already known, the depiction of the wall painting that lies over the so called “tomb of Philip II” is a hunting scene. Hunters riders and on foot alike are depicted as hunting several preys in a valley with mountains on the background as well as rocky terrain on both sides.
I will not talk here about the great issue of the identification process concerning the hunters themselves. The researchers who feel strong about this being indeed Philip II’s tomb believe that the rider who attacks the lion on the right is Phillip himself and that the central rider is Alexander as a youth.
The two writers of the article that follows believe that the tomb is indeed that of Philip II. Their research was focused around the depiction of the bear rising from the rocky terrain on the far right of the painting. On an earlier research the bear itself had been perceived as a symbol of the Thrace region and thusly as a symbol of the victorious campaign Philip marched over that land.
The presence of the bear has been considered a major issue from the entire scientific community as the beast itself is an extremely rare motive in ancient Greek art. The two researchers hypothesized the following: In many written sources (Aristotle) the words Άρκτος (bear) means North (the largest star that is located at the tip of the Ursa Major constellation tail that almost coincide with the North Pole that, for the last 5000 thousand years remains in the same position) . So the depiction of the bear on the painting is actually a geographical landmark that symbolizes an event that took place in a northern location.
This event cannot be other than the Scythian campaign that started in 342 BC and ended in 339 BC with Philip having added to his domain a vast region seven times larger than the entire Macedonian kingdom before that event. Then the focus of the researchers was centered on the rock formations behind the bear and with the help of Bulgarian counterparts of theirs, they found the same rocks (you can compare the photos I attached it to the post to the ones on the painting) to be quite real and even more important.
They actually are a megalithic solar observatory and also probably a sanctuary in ancient Thrace near Buzovgrad in the Municipality of Kazanluk (you can google it). They are quite sure that these are indeed the same rocks that are depicted in the painting. The shape of the rocks has resulted from natural formations and human intervention. It is very possible for the painter himself to have seen the rock formation in question with his own eyes and then drew a small scetch of the site.
The two researchers go on to say that the megalithic observatory “was already in use from the Bronze Age for reckoning time through observation of the Sun’s orbit, as well as for mystery rites of the worship of the Sun and his Mother, the Thracian Great Mother. The observatory is near the Odrysian capital of Seuthopolis, which was clearly an important sacred place in the period of the Scythian campaign. It would be unlikely that Philip had not visited this sacred spot en route to the North; it is more likely that he visited it as a pilgrim, as there are no indications of rejection in its depiction. (…) The importance of the depiction of this solar observatory on the painting is enormous. By including it in the fresco, the painter illustrated in a unique fashion both a geographical region and simultaneously its inhabitants, for as the bent spear or javelin in her mouth suggests, the bear is a collective symbolic depiction of the defeated enemy. Furthermore it offers compelling evidence of Philip’s interest in astronomical phenomena and the sciences of his era.”
I would also like to add a thought of mine here. If the tomb is indeed Philip’s then there is no question that the painting was created by Alexander’s orders. He would surely like to honor his father’s victory in Thrace. Let us not forget that the painting would soon be covered by the earth...
My sources are
Despina Ignatiadou, John Hugh Seiradakis “The archaeological work in Macedon and Thrace 20 years” Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki 2009, p. 95
Best regards to all!