A group of German scientists discovered that an ancient 3,600 year-old Bronze Age artefact called the Sky Disc of Nebra was an advanced astronomical clock.
The explanation of the disc's purpose sheds new light on the astronomical knowledge and abilities of the Bronze Age people, who used a combination of solar and lunar calendars as important indicators for agricultural seasons and passage of time.
"The sensation lies in the fact that the Bronze Age people managed to harmonize the solar and lunar years. We never thought they would have managed that," Meller said.