The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass
Archaeometry is the application of scientific techniques used to analyze archaeological materials. The Cretan Bronze Age Minoan Kernos, has hitherto, been regarded as a gaming board or for religious purposes. Here, it is shown, that, it was designed, specifically, to predict the occurrence of the 9t...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17286 |
| _version_ | 1848749424918921216 |
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| author | Downey, William |
| author_facet | Downey, William |
| author_sort | Downey, William |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Archaeometry is the application of scientific techniques used to analyze archaeological materials. The Cretan Bronze Age Minoan Kernos, has hitherto, been regarded as a gaming board or for religious purposes. Here, it is shown, that, it was designed, specifically, to predict the occurrence of the 9th. January 1860 BCE Total Solar Eclipse. A prototype magnetic compass was centrally facilitated in a non-magnetic marble structure, whose geomagnetic declination angle, appears to coincide with the Kernos’ eclipse prediction-axis orientation. Comparisons of eclipse constructions taken from Kernos measurements, with those of Hipparchus (2nd. c. BCE), appear to be similar, suggesting a common origin. Evidence obtained using a multidisciplinary approach, is testament to the sophistication of Middle Bronze Age science and technology and the ability to create a mathematically-based eclipse predictor and magnetic compass, 3800 years ago and 1700 years before the advent of the Antikythera Mechanism. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:20:43Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-17286 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:20:43Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-172862017-09-13T15:43:05Z The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass Downey, William Archaeometry is the application of scientific techniques used to analyze archaeological materials. The Cretan Bronze Age Minoan Kernos, has hitherto, been regarded as a gaming board or for religious purposes. Here, it is shown, that, it was designed, specifically, to predict the occurrence of the 9th. January 1860 BCE Total Solar Eclipse. A prototype magnetic compass was centrally facilitated in a non-magnetic marble structure, whose geomagnetic declination angle, appears to coincide with the Kernos’ eclipse prediction-axis orientation. Comparisons of eclipse constructions taken from Kernos measurements, with those of Hipparchus (2nd. c. BCE), appear to be similar, suggesting a common origin. Evidence obtained using a multidisciplinary approach, is testament to the sophistication of Middle Bronze Age science and technology and the ability to create a mathematically-based eclipse predictor and magnetic compass, 3800 years ago and 1700 years before the advent of the Antikythera Mechanism. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17286 10.5281/zenodo.15041 restricted |
| spellingShingle | Downey, William The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title | The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title_full | The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title_fullStr | The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title_full_unstemmed | The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title_short | The cretan middle bronze age ‘Minoan Kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| title_sort | cretan middle bronze age ‘minoan kernos’ was designed to predict a total solar eclipse and to facilitate a magnetic compass |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17286 |