Ancient Swedish Goths Had Surprisingly Accurate Calendars

A team of archaeologists discovered ancient burial mounds near Uppsala, Sweden, that date back to at least 450 A.D. These mounds were used to regulate a precise midwinter sacrificial calendar. The Goths, a northern Germanic culture, were obsessed with timing the sacrifices every eight years. They believed that failing to perform these sacrifices would lead to calamity. An astrophysicist, Goran Henrikson, claims to have found the calendar that regulates the dates for the Grest Midwinter Sacrifice. He notes that the starting date was defined by the full Moon between 28 January and 26 February in the Gregorian calendar. The cycle began in 852 A.D. The burial mounds are surrounded by a flat plain and were less than half a mile from the Baltic Sea, which was 19.5 meters higher than today. The poles used to mark the full Moon and the rising Sun were aligned with the sacrificial dates. The sacrifices involved one man and seven male domestic animals, and the bodies were arranged upside down in a holy tree. The precision of the calendar is remarkable, as the Goths could measure the phases of the Moon to six digits of accuracy. The mounds were oriented to reflect the Sun's rays in the sea, and the shadows from the posts aligned with the rows of poles. The discovery suggests that the Goths had an advanced understanding of astronomy and the celestial sphere, which is surprising given their cultural context. The calendar was used to ensure order and good times for the next eight years, and the sacrificial practices were deeply connected to their religious beliefs and an afterlife. The findings challenge the perception that the Goths were barbaric and highlight their sophisticated understanding of the natural world.

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