A lot has been said about the cross as a symbol of the sun before the advent of Christianity. And a lot has been said about the ancient sign of the "swastika", derived from the sun cross. But there is another ancient symbolic motif, which originated from the swastika. This is the motive of the "Moving swastika". Unlike the sun rotating around its axis (a single swastika), this motif is a rhythmically repetitive swastika, sequentially connected to each other in an S -shaped structure. The structure of this motive develops linearly, which predetermined the function of a border in the designs of ancient art. But before becoming a decorative border, this motif served as a sacral guardian (talisman) on household items and jewelry. The ancient motif “Moving Swastika” had a protective function and was depicted on cult objects, ceramics, jewelry, fabrics and carpets. The motif of the “Moving Solar Deity” in the form of a swastika recurring and connected with each other, with the spread of Islam, also acquires a new symbolism: While preserving its pagan, “protective” context in the works of Muslim art, it has become a decorative border. In the decoration of architectural structures, works of artistic metal, ceramics, fabrics and carpets, the motif of the “Moving Sun (swastika)” continues to retain its original function of the amulet. This symbolic motif of the rim protects the border, hidden (batin) from the outer, overt (zahir), forming the border between the sacred and profane world.

The swastika is one of the oldest symbols of Mankind, going back at least to the VII millenium BC. It appears on many diverse prehistoric archaeological remains like rock art and pottery, among other artefacts and monuments. Some researchers simple ignore it or call it “decoration”, while others, frequently, consider it only as a solar symbol. Indeed there are several meannings of the swastika, which occur throught time and space and that must be analysed with a contextual approach. In 1978, the discovery of a Chinese comet Atlas at Mawangdui, dating from the 4th century BC, is surely a turning point regarding the interpretation of the swastika. In fact, one of the depicted comets has the shape of that symbol. In this paper the author presents an interdisciplinary methodology to demonstrate the cometary origins of the swastika: iconographic data (prehistoric carvings, the Chinese comet atlas and drawings from early astronomers), astronomical and astrophysics data (studies regarding comets and experiences in astrophysics), writen data (texts from Classical Roman writers), and geographical data (the simultaneous presence of the symbol during the V millenium BC, in regions without contact). As a conclusion, it can be argued that during Prehistory the relation between comets and religion (or myth) is very close and, therefore, these astronomical events must have left a deep impression in the mind of the observers, due to the visual impact that they produced, being probably considered as manifestations of the gods. Introduction

This chapter deals with spiritual life in the Stone Age, briefly in the Upper Paleolithic period, in more detail in the Neolithic and Eneolithic. The chapter deals with some paintings and engravings from caves, such as the engraving of a mysterious creature with part of the human body part of the animal body from the cave of Les Combarelles (France). This engraving could prove a belief in the unity of man and animal. The important grave of a shaman, the sorcerer from Brno, Francouzská Street was mentioned, which included, among other things, a puppet of a man from ivory. Some unique ceramic statuettes of animals from the locality Dolní Věstonice and Pavlov (South Moravia) were intentionally damaged. The parts of these statuettes could be used in hunting rituals. So called command staffs have a number of explanations. Their use as drumsticks for ritual drums cannot be excluded. The hole against the handle could be used to "banish the evil forces". It is a epoch of religious ideas that can be classified as animism, animatism and demonism. These religious ideas survive to the Neolithic, when these religious wayif thinking evolve into a period of prototheism. Remarkable is a small ritual vessel in the shape of a goat but with a human face. Numerous ceramic anthropomorphic statuettes and images on vessels of the Linear Pottery culture were described (Vedrovice), and especially the female statues of the Moravian - East-Austrian group of Painted Pottery culture from Moravia, which were anonymously depicted as idols of the cult of fruitfullness and fertility. Anthropomorphic vessels could also be used for rituals. Described is a vessel depicting a woman with miniature containers in hands from the settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice, where the rondel was excavated. Kernos and pseudokernos (Střelice, Hluboké Mašůvky, Moravia etc.) could also be used for rituals. Interestingly, there is evidence of the use of masks in religious ceremonies (eg Liubcova, Banat; Uivar, Romania). Significant is the discovery of a simple rondel as a multifunctional gathering place at Prašník, Piešťany District (south-west Slovakia). Between the entrances facing the cardinal points, there are three large features (4 x 3 = 12) in each quadrant along the inner edge of the ditch. Four are also seasons. What are the 12 great features (12 months or something else)? The Eneolithic is characterized by the transformation of Neolithic prototheism into the earliest period of polytheism. Some statuettes were made including details such as clothing or body ornaments. It is possible that they already depict goddesses, priestesses (eg Vesnus of Hluboké Mašůvky) and priests or chiefs. There are also very rich graves of chiefs with copper pectorals (Štramberk-Kotouč, Moravia; Velvary, Bohemia) and tiaras (Vörs, Hungary). 56 Rituális tevékenység az újkőkorban és a rézkorban Szlovákia területén célra, különleges alkalmak során használták. Sámánok alkalomszerűen használhatták a föld alatti rejtett helyeket. Talán olyan szertartásokat végeztek itt, amelyet nem szántak az egész közösségnek. A szikla-vagy földhasadékok és a barlangok nem csak szimbolikus, de valóságos átjárók a föld alatti világba, és mint ilyen, szakralizált hellyé vált (Pavlů-Zápotocká 2007, 61). A természet ciklusainak misztikumát tükrözték a bonyolult rítusok, melynek során véres és vértelen áldozatot ajánlottak fel a természeti isteneknek. Feltételezhető, hogy az indoeurópai mitológia, mágia és vallás eredete a neolitikumban gyökerezik. Ez volt az időszaka sok isten születésének és halálának. Hamarosan megformálódott a gondolata a Magna Mater típusú, földanya és termékenység istennőknek. A rézkorban a "szent hit" fokozatosan átváltozik egy korai politeizmusba (sokistenhitbe), és a menny-föld és alvilág hármassága kezd kikristályosodni. A vegetatív típusú természeti istenek tiszteletére ren-dezett szertartásokat talán rendszeresen megtartották a természet újjászületésekor vagy a mezőgazda-sági munkák kezdésekor tavasszal. A rondellákban talán az égitestek megfigyelésével határozták meg a szertartások időpontját (. Ezeknek a szertartásoknak fontos szereplői voltak a sámánok. A modern gondolkodás számára a bemutatott rituális tevékenységek példái talán különösek és kegyet-lenek, de ezek mélyen gyökereznek az őskori emberek gondolatvilágában és visszatükrözik a társadalom-ról és az őket körülvevő világról alkotott gondolataikat.

This chapter explores the symbolic and conceptual relations between prehistoric groups and the sky. The study of how people engage with the sky is known as cultural astronomy, a term that comprises any field concerned with sky and culture, including archaeoastronomy. The latter focuses on analyzing the archaeological record for evidence of past skyscapes, i.e., past forms of engagement with the celestial objects, and how they would feature in the world views of the societies under study. The chapter discusses six case studies from the Western part of the Iberian Peninsula that are representative of prehistoric contexts found in other parts of the world. They illustrate how prehistoric skyscapes provided not only spatial axes for the construction of structures that align to celestial objects and events but, more importantly, how such alignments served as temporal anchors moored to key environmental, social, and symbolic moments of transition.

-- from Indus Script Corpora to Rasenna of Etruria -- industrial scale zinc processes of Zawar Etruscan ‘burning altar’; Extent of Etruscan civilization and the twelve Etruscan League cities; Zawar industrial scale production of zinc; retorts in situ