Of all the exhibits at the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in Berlin, this ancient artifact is perhaps the most mysterious. It is completely unclear where it was found, its exact purpose has not been fully established, there are only a few basic versions, and the very circumstances of its appearance in the museum are shrouded in mystery.
The Berlin gold hat is a cone-shaped object 75 centimeters high, with a brim like a hat, and covered with gold. On the brim of the hat and on the cone, there is an ornament in the form of circles, rings and dots. Scientists attribute this artifact to the Urnopol culture of the Bronze Age. Curiously, 3 more similar hats were found, and all of them date back to the period 1400 - 800 BC. BC.
But if the rest of the hats were found in southern Germany and France, then nothing is known about the origin of the Berlin Golden Hat. There are no accompanying documents to indicate where it was found or purchased, which most likely suggests that the hat was purchased from the black market for ancient valuables. Be that as it may, this exhibit is of particular value and is displayed in a separate room of the Museum of Prehistoric Period and Early History.
Initially it was assumed that these hats were used in cult events. But then scientists suggested that it could be a kind of ancient calendar, and the figures on the hat indicated dates from the solar and lunar cycles, which were important for field work. The hats most likely belonged to people who played an important role in society, perhaps they were people who performed ritual ceremonies.
The other 3 hats also have a similar pattern and most likely performed a similar function. But why the ancient inhabitants of Europe needed to put the astronomical calendar on a golden hat, when it was possible to fix these data in a much simpler way, scientists have not yet been able to figure out.
Olga Frolova
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