An accidental astronomical discovery
In September 1902, a farmer named Frederik Willumsen was ploughing a field for the first time in Trundholm moor on the island of Zealand when his plough struck a fragmented object. Initially mistaken for a toy, the find was soon identified as a singular artifact from the Nordic Bronze Age, dating to approximately 1400 BCE. Now fully reassembled, the Sun Chariot is a bronze and gold sculpture measuring about 54 centimeters long and 35 centimeters high. It consists of a horse on four wheels pulling a large disk, which is mounted on its own two wheels. The entire piece, including its six four-spoked wheels, was created using the lost-wax casting method, a sophisticated technique for the period.
The disk itself is a complex construction. It measures about 25 cm in diameter and is made of two convex bronze plates joined by a bronze ring. One face is covered in a thin layer of gold leaf, while the other remains dark bronze. Both sides are decorated with stamped motifs of spirals and concentric circles, common designs in the Nordic Bronze Age. Analysis of the object reveals advanced metallurgical skills; a fault in the horse's casting allowed researchers to see the clay core used in its construction. The deposition in a bog was a common practice for ritual offerings during this era.