Oldest-Known Astrologer's Board Discovered

This is one of the best discoveries I have seen in a while.
I'm very interested to see what is learned from this.
Hopefully this piece will be able to tell us a little more about
the history of astrology and horoscopes.

www.livescience.com...

A research team has discovered what may be the oldest astrologer's board, engraved with zodiac signs and used to determine a person's horoscope.

Dating back more than 2,000 years, the board was discovered in Croatia, in a cave overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The surviving portion of the board consists of 30 ivory fragments engraved with signs of the zodiac. Researchers spent years digging them up and putting them back together. Inscribed in a Greco-Roman style, they include images of Cancer, Gemini and Pisces.

The board fragments were discovered next to a phallic-shaped stalagmite amid thousands of pieces of ancient Hellenistic (Greek style) drinking vessels.

An ancient astrologer, trying to determine a person's horoscope, could have used the board to show the position of the planets, sun and moon at the time the person was born.

www.ksee24.com...
esciencenews.com...

Awesome!!
Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!

I believe that human civilization is a lot older than the mainstream belief.

This is a great find, and I cannot wait to see what secrets of history it unlocks!

Originally posted by goldcoin
I believe that human civilization is a lot older than the mainstream belief.

This is a great find, and I cannot wait to see what secrets of history it unlocks!

Well this discovery is well within the established time frame of the 'mainstream'. Unlocks? Not much really but it reaffirms the how and when of astrology spreading across the Med, and the use of ivory for the astrology board which shows it was worthwhile making it in a valuable substance....it also demonstrated that people then liked to drink in dark places - like they do now!

Very interesting article, thanks OP. I was about to speculate on possible connections to the campaigns of people like a young Gaius Julius against Mithradities (or however you spell it!) in the area at that time. And then i read it in the article! (ok - link to Roman campaigns rather than Caesar).

The most interesting aspect to me is why that part of the cave was effectively walled off. This would indicate that prying eyes were not welcome, which in turn tantalizes us with the possibility there may be more to find.....

Originally posted by Flavian


The most interesting aspect to me is why that part of the cave was effectively walled off. This would indicate that prying eyes were not welcome, which in turn tantalizes us with the possibility there may be more to find.....

Or the Roman's sealed a place where troublesome people met or was considered a source of religious inspired rebellion.

Or the locals themselves sealed it to prevent it destruction or finding by the Roman....speculation

2000 years is not that old - surely they've found older!
THey have mosaics in Jewish homes before the time of Christ, wouldn't those qualify?

reply to post by Hanslune


Surely without an aspect of speculation there are never any decent archeological discoveries made? Cold hard facts only get you so far when searching for the past.

Im thinking along the lines of Howard Carter or Charles of Bourbon at Herculaneum - yes, they knew they were in the correct areas but the excavations were also a leap into the unknown. By in effect betting on their speculations, they made significant discoveries.

Originally posted by hadriana
2000 years is not that old - surely they've found older!
THey have mosaics in Jewish homes before the time of Christ, wouldn't those qualify?

Evidence of astrology goes back much further than this.

The zodiac we use has been found in Sumer dating back to 2000 BCE or thereabouts.

But what this is is the oldest astrology tool, it being a board that appears to have been used by an astrologer.

Harte