Sun stones and sacrifice: How ancient farmers faced climate chaos
01-17-2025

Sun stones and sacrifice: How ancient farmers faced climate chaos

Volcanic eruptions have profoundly impacted human societies throughout history, causing cold weather, reduced sunlight, and crop failures. In 43 BC, for instance, a volcanic eruption in Alaska ejected vast amounts of sulfur into the stratosphere, leading to poor harvests, famine, and disease around the Mediterranean. 

While written records from ancient Greece and Rome document these events, no such records exist from the Neolithic period.

However, climate scientists and archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a similar catastrophic volcanic eruption around 2,900 BC, shedding light on its devastating effects on Neolithic communities in Northern Europe.

This discovery, made by researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, has led archaeologists to reevaluate findings from the Neolithic Vasagård site on Bornholm, Denmark. 

The eruption and its aftermath appear to have influenced the ritual practices of these early agricultural societies, particularly their reverence for the sun.

Harsh climate conditions after massive eruption 

By analyzing ice cores from Greenland, researchers detected significant sulfur deposits indicative of a massive volcanic eruption around 2,900 BC. This event caused reduced solar radiation and a subsequent drop in temperatures across Europe and the United States, leading to prolonged cooling. 

Evidence from dendrochronological studies of fossilized wood reveals signs of frost during the spring and summer months before and after the eruption, emphasizing its harsh climatic consequences.

Such conditions would have been devastating for Neolithic communities that depended on agriculture. With shorter growing seasons and failed harvests, the people of Northern Europe likely faced widespread food shortages and societal strain.

Sun stones of Vasagård

The volcanic eruption and its climatic impact have recontextualized archaeological findings from Vasagård on Bornholm, a site known for its unique “sun stones.” 

These engraved flat shale pieces, featuring sun motifs and patterns, are believed to have symbolized fertility and been used in rituals to ensure agricultural success.

Archaeologist Rune Iversen of the University of Copenhagen, who has participated in excavations at Vasagård, explained the significance of these artifacts.

“One type of find that is completely unique to Bornholm is the so-called sun stones, which are flat shale pieces with engraved patterns and sun motifs. They symbolized fertility and were probably sacrificed to ensure sun and growth.”

Sun stones in sacrificial ditches

Large quantities of sun stones were discovered in sacrificial ditches alongside animal bones, broken clay vessels, and flint objects, suggesting they were part of elaborate rituals. 

These sacrifices likely aimed to appease forces believed to control the sun, especially during a time of diminished sunlight caused by the volcanic eruption.

“It is reasonable to believe that the Neolithic people on Bornholm wanted to protect themselves from further deterioration of the climate by sacrificing sun stones – or perhaps they wanted to show their gratitude that the sun had returned again,” Iversen added.

Climate change and cultural transformation

The Neolithic period around 2,900 BC was marked not only by climate-related challenges but also by other crises. DNA analysis of human remains from this time reveals widespread and deadly outbreaks of plague

These dual pressures – climate instability and disease – likely contributed to major cultural changes in Northern Europe.

For instance, the once-dominant Funnel Beaker Culture, known for its distinct ceramics and passage graves, began to fade. At Vasagård, the rituals involving sun stones gave way to new practices, including the construction of extensive palisades and circular cult houses.

“At the causewayed enclosure we have excavated on Bornholm, we can also see that, after the sacrifice of the sun stones, the residents changed the structure of the site so that instead of sacrificial ditches, it was provided with extensive rows of palisades and circular cult houses,” Iversen said. 

“We do not know why, but it is reasonable to believe that the dramatic climatic changes they had been exposed to would have played a role in some way.”

Sun worship across eras

The sun stones from Vasagård provide an early example of a sun cult in Northern Europe, predating similar practices seen in the Nordic Bronze Age, such as the Sun Chariot, and even echoing henge structures like Stonehenge in England.

“The sun stones are completely unique, also in a European context,” noted Lasse Vilien Sørensen, a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark and co-author of the study. 

“The closest we get to a similar sun-cult in the Neolithic is some passage graves in southern Scandinavia or henge structures like Stonehenge in England, which some researchers associate with the sun. With the sun stones, there is in my mind no doubt.”

The discovery underscores how early agricultural societies revered the sun as a vital force, closely tied to survival and fertility. This reverence persisted even into later periods, such as the volcanic disaster of 536 AD, when Scandinavian societies deposited large gold hoards as sacrifices during another significant climate crisis.

A window into Neolithic life

The evidence of volcanic activity from ice cores, coupled with the archaeological findings at Vasagård, provides a vivid picture of how Neolithic communities responded to environmental disasters

The sacrifices of sun stones and subsequent cultural shifts demonstrate both the adaptability and the ritual practices of these early societies.

Legacy of the sun stones

Four of the sun stones from Vasagård will be displayed at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, offering a glimpse into the lives of Neolithic communities and their response to one of history’s earliest documented climate disasters.

These artifacts, tied to the earliest known sun-cults in Scandinavia, illuminate how deeply ancient societies were connected to their environment and how they sought to influence or understand natural forces during times of crisis. 

The Vasagård sun stones serve as a testament to humanity’s enduring relationship with the sun – a source of life and a beacon of survival in the face of nature’s extremes.

The study is published in the journal Antiquity.

Image Credit: National Museum of Denmark

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