Dr of philosophy in Astronomy at the University of Uppsala, Sweden in 1983. Lecturer at the Observatory, librarian and responsible for the collection of ancient instruments. Observed at big observatories and with the IUE-satellite in 1981. Site testing on La Palma in 1975. Developed a computer program for accurate calculation of ancient solar eclipses back to 4000 BC. After a new calibration of the lunar orbit in 2011 it has been possible to verify the precession of the geodesic predicted by Einstein and in 2016 a determination of the mass of the graviton from the secular acceleration of the moon. By identification of ancient total solar eclipses it has been possible to establish absolute chronologies for the Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian Kingdoms, the Hittite Kingdom and to verify the higher chronology in Egypt for the 13th-19th dynasties and the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties in China. In 1992 started a study of the Minoan astronomy on Crete and prehistoric astronomy in Sweden. In 2009 identification of 10 solar eclipses on the Antikythera Mechanism and its calibration at Syracuse by Archimedes. In 2010 contribution to the identification of the tomb of Copernicus in the cathedral at Frombork.
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2001
We describe briefly new trends in archaeoastronomy and present results from our studies on Crete ... more We describe briefly new trends in archaeoastronomy and present results from our studies on Crete to show what this field can contribute to archaeological investigations in the Bronze Age Aegean. Our basic method is the study of orientations, but contemporary Linear A texts, finds from the sites, and later Mycenaean and Greek texts have proved to be important supplementary sources. In broadest terms the results show systematic observation of the heavenly bodies from the end of the early Minoan period (ca. 2000 BCE) and the use of the knowledge obtained to regulate a lunisolar calendar and to navigate.
American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Development (AJMRD), 2021
A Chinese oracle bone text from the 14th century BC mentioned that a guest star appeared "On a ch... more A Chinese oracle bone text from the 14th century BC mentioned that a guest star appeared "On a chi-ssu day, the seventh day of the month". On contemporary Swedish rock-carvings a solar symbol was depicted below the ecliptic, represented by six calendar ships, and close to the left elbow of Orion. The symbol for the full moon was depicted in Gemini, above the supernova, which means that the supernova appeared in November. A combination of this information means that the supernova appeared in the sky on 9 November in 1355 BC and can be identified with the supernova remnant PKS 0646+06. In four cases it has been possible to estimate the magnitude of the supernova and these points match the linear decline of a type Ia supernova. Independent support for this interpretation can be found in the Babylonian Enuma Anu Enlil (EAE) texts. Pharaoh Tutankhaten changed his name to Tutankhamun in 1355-4 BC (High Egyptian Chronology). When the Supernova appeared during daytime there was two suns in the sky and Akhenaten"s monotheistic religion was disproved. Hittite Queen Tawananna III had two sun discs in her royal seal. Independently, the American Anasazi people depicted the Supernova below the left elbow of the "Warrior".
Proceedings of the Conference ASTRONOMY of ANCIENT SOCIETIES of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) associated with the Joint European and National Astronomical Meeting (JENAM) Moscow, May 23-27, 2000, 2002
On the island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, there exist about
3600 grooves cut in... more On the island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, there exist about
3600 grooves cut in the bedrock or on big stones. They can be found on the ancient
shores of lakes and in connection with the coastal settlements and finds of the Neolithic
Pitted Ware Culture. The grooves have a typical length of 50-110 cm, width of 5-10 cm
and depth of 1-10 cm. They follow closely a circular arc in both the length and width crosssections
(Fig. 1; 2). The surface is very smooth and they must have been cut by a stable
machine, using quartz sand and water (Fig. 3) The mean of the radius of curvature for ca
400 grooves is 2.83 m.
Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy Conversations Across Time and Space Selected Papers from the Fifth Oxford International Conference at Santa Fe, 1996, 2005
The prehistoric rock carvings in Sweden have been studied for more than a century without general... more The prehistoric rock carvings in Sweden have been studied for more than a century without general consensus about their meaning. Using a program developed by the author between 1975-1985, the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock carvings from the Bronze Age, 1800-500 BC. The accuracy of the program has been checked by comparison with written records of total solar eclipses.
In 1991 the author found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses would have been dated in a calendar with six ships that carried the sun along the ecliptic. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a correct position of the symbol for the sun in the actual calendar ship. If planets were visible during the eclipse they were reproduced as cup-marks in correct position in relation to the sun.
A comet was visible during the two total solar eclipses in 1596 BC and 858 BC. The
author has been able to identify this as the periodic comet Encke and its orbit has been checked by comparison with the Chinese chronicles. The earliest identification of Encke on the Swedish rock carvings goes back to 1758 BC.
*
In 2015, I determined the margins of error in my new calibration of the lunar sidereal secular ac... more In 2015, I determined the margins of error in my new calibration of the lunar sidereal secular acceleration, –30.128 ±0.0035 arcseconds/century2 ("/cy2), based on 33 ancient total solar eclipses. The lunar secular acceleration, from the Lunar Laser Range (LLR) measurements, –25.856 ±0.003 "/cy2, must be corrected for relativistic effects, –3.604 "/cy2, in the Earth-Moon-system to get the lunar secular acceleration, –29.460 "/cy2. The difference between this value and my new calibration, –0.668 ±0.0046 "/cy2, corresponds to the cosmological acceleration predicted by Dvali et al. in a modified theory of gravity with the mass of the graviton 1.306 ±0.009 x 10-56 grams
In 2011, I performed a new calibration of the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-30.13 arc seco... more In 2011, I performed a new calibration of the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-30.13 arc seconds/century2 ("/cy2), based on 33 total solar eclipses back to 3653 BC. The lunar secularacceleration -25.85"/cy2, from the Lunar Laser Range (LLR) measurements, must be corrected for the precession of the geodesic in the Earth-Moon-system,-3.84"/cy2, to get the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-29.69"/cy2. The difference between the corrected LLR-resultand my new calibration, -0.44"/cy2, is in good agreement with the so-called cosmological precession of the Moon, as predicted by Gia Dvali et al. in a modified theory of gravity
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2009
The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and an... more The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and analogue computer known and was assembled sometime between 150 and 100 BCE, almost a century after the death of Archimedes. The mechanism has a great educational potential as it appeals to inquiring minds as an astonishing artefact of science and technology. The latest research findings reveal significant cultural and social functions in its operations. This astonishing astronomical instrument has a clear interdisciplinary valueand it has that it may be used as an educational medium, to engage the general public, and especially to attract students both to/from exact sciences and to/from the humanities. The astronomical and technical knowledge embedded in the mechanism can also be used to introduce some aspects of modern science through the unknown technological achievements of Hellenic antiquity.
... They had a sophisticated calendar that kept the motions of the sun and moon in synchrony, the... more ... They had a sophisticated calendar that kept the motions of the sun and moon in synchrony, the only one that we know of in the Bronze Age Mediterranean area. ... In Pro-ceedings of the 9th Cretological congress, Elounda (Crete), 1-7 October 2001. Vol. A4. ...
We report the results of our archaeoastronomical investigation of the unique building at Chamaizi... more We report the results of our archaeoastronomical investigation of the unique building at Chamaizi in eastern Crete. The structure has been an enigma to Aegean archaeologists because of its oval shape, which is unparalleled in Minoan architecture. Religion has figured prominently in the discussions of the house’s function, primarily due to the discovery of a well and some figurines. We had included it in our pilot study of Minoan astronomical interest since some scholars have categorized it as a peak sanctuary, and these sites are ideally located for astronomical observations. An axial symmetry for the building, however, was impossible to calculate, and this discouraged us to the extent that we left its evaluation to a late stage in our work. When we returned to our data, with the knowledge acquired from our study of a number of other Minoan buildings, we were in a better position to study the house and understand its function. The main entrance was orientated to sunrise on the morni...
In 1991 the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock-carv... more In 1991 the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock-carvings from the Bronze Age, ca 1800-500 BC. It was found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses were dated in a calendar in which six ships carried the sun along the ecliptic, each ship representing a double month. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as prehistoric constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a precise location of the solar symbol in the relevant calendar ship. Above the ship that corresponds to the double month that began at the summer solstice there was a constellation that mainly corresponds to our Leo. A supernova that was mentioned in Chinese oracle bone texts from the 14th century BC can also be identified on Swedish rock carvings as a solar symbol placed below the ecliptic and close to the left elbow of a male figure that lifts the highest of the six calendar ships above his head. This figure corresponds mainly to ...
A correct identification of ancient solar eclipses is not only important for historical reasons b... more A correct identification of ancient solar eclipses is not only important for historical reasons but also gives the possibility to determine the acceleration of the longitude of the Moon to a high p ...
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2001
We describe briefly new trends in archaeoastronomy and present results from our studies on Crete ... more We describe briefly new trends in archaeoastronomy and present results from our studies on Crete to show what this field can contribute to archaeological investigations in the Bronze Age Aegean. Our basic method is the study of orientations, but contemporary Linear A texts, finds from the sites, and later Mycenaean and Greek texts have proved to be important supplementary sources. In broadest terms the results show systematic observation of the heavenly bodies from the end of the early Minoan period (ca. 2000 BCE) and the use of the knowledge obtained to regulate a lunisolar calendar and to navigate.
American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Development (AJMRD), 2021
A Chinese oracle bone text from the 14th century BC mentioned that a guest star appeared "On a ch... more A Chinese oracle bone text from the 14th century BC mentioned that a guest star appeared "On a chi-ssu day, the seventh day of the month". On contemporary Swedish rock-carvings a solar symbol was depicted below the ecliptic, represented by six calendar ships, and close to the left elbow of Orion. The symbol for the full moon was depicted in Gemini, above the supernova, which means that the supernova appeared in November. A combination of this information means that the supernova appeared in the sky on 9 November in 1355 BC and can be identified with the supernova remnant PKS 0646+06. In four cases it has been possible to estimate the magnitude of the supernova and these points match the linear decline of a type Ia supernova. Independent support for this interpretation can be found in the Babylonian Enuma Anu Enlil (EAE) texts. Pharaoh Tutankhaten changed his name to Tutankhamun in 1355-4 BC (High Egyptian Chronology). When the Supernova appeared during daytime there was two suns in the sky and Akhenaten"s monotheistic religion was disproved. Hittite Queen Tawananna III had two sun discs in her royal seal. Independently, the American Anasazi people depicted the Supernova below the left elbow of the "Warrior".
Proceedings of the Conference ASTRONOMY of ANCIENT SOCIETIES of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) associated with the Joint European and National Astronomical Meeting (JENAM) Moscow, May 23-27, 2000, 2002
On the island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, there exist about
3600 grooves cut in... more On the island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, there exist about
3600 grooves cut in the bedrock or on big stones. They can be found on the ancient
shores of lakes and in connection with the coastal settlements and finds of the Neolithic
Pitted Ware Culture. The grooves have a typical length of 50-110 cm, width of 5-10 cm
and depth of 1-10 cm. They follow closely a circular arc in both the length and width crosssections
(Fig. 1; 2). The surface is very smooth and they must have been cut by a stable
machine, using quartz sand and water (Fig. 3) The mean of the radius of curvature for ca
400 grooves is 2.83 m.
Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy Conversations Across Time and Space Selected Papers from the Fifth Oxford International Conference at Santa Fe, 1996, 2005
The prehistoric rock carvings in Sweden have been studied for more than a century without general... more The prehistoric rock carvings in Sweden have been studied for more than a century without general consensus about their meaning. Using a program developed by the author between 1975-1985, the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock carvings from the Bronze Age, 1800-500 BC. The accuracy of the program has been checked by comparison with written records of total solar eclipses.
In 1991 the author found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses would have been dated in a calendar with six ships that carried the sun along the ecliptic. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a correct position of the symbol for the sun in the actual calendar ship. If planets were visible during the eclipse they were reproduced as cup-marks in correct position in relation to the sun.
A comet was visible during the two total solar eclipses in 1596 BC and 858 BC. The
author has been able to identify this as the periodic comet Encke and its orbit has been checked by comparison with the Chinese chronicles. The earliest identification of Encke on the Swedish rock carvings goes back to 1758 BC.
*
In 2015, I determined the margins of error in my new calibration of the lunar sidereal secular ac... more In 2015, I determined the margins of error in my new calibration of the lunar sidereal secular acceleration, –30.128 ±0.0035 arcseconds/century2 ("/cy2), based on 33 ancient total solar eclipses. The lunar secular acceleration, from the Lunar Laser Range (LLR) measurements, –25.856 ±0.003 "/cy2, must be corrected for relativistic effects, –3.604 "/cy2, in the Earth-Moon-system to get the lunar secular acceleration, –29.460 "/cy2. The difference between this value and my new calibration, –0.668 ±0.0046 "/cy2, corresponds to the cosmological acceleration predicted by Dvali et al. in a modified theory of gravity with the mass of the graviton 1.306 ±0.009 x 10-56 grams
In 2011, I performed a new calibration of the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-30.13 arc seco... more In 2011, I performed a new calibration of the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-30.13 arc seconds/century2 ("/cy2), based on 33 total solar eclipses back to 3653 BC. The lunar secularacceleration -25.85"/cy2, from the Lunar Laser Range (LLR) measurements, must be corrected for the precession of the geodesic in the Earth-Moon-system,-3.84"/cy2, to get the sidereal lunar secular acceleration,-29.69"/cy2. The difference between the corrected LLR-resultand my new calibration, -0.44"/cy2, is in good agreement with the so-called cosmological precession of the Moon, as predicted by Gia Dvali et al. in a modified theory of gravity
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2009
The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and an... more The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and analogue computer known and was assembled sometime between 150 and 100 BCE, almost a century after the death of Archimedes. The mechanism has a great educational potential as it appeals to inquiring minds as an astonishing artefact of science and technology. The latest research findings reveal significant cultural and social functions in its operations. This astonishing astronomical instrument has a clear interdisciplinary valueand it has that it may be used as an educational medium, to engage the general public, and especially to attract students both to/from exact sciences and to/from the humanities. The astronomical and technical knowledge embedded in the mechanism can also be used to introduce some aspects of modern science through the unknown technological achievements of Hellenic antiquity.
... They had a sophisticated calendar that kept the motions of the sun and moon in synchrony, the... more ... They had a sophisticated calendar that kept the motions of the sun and moon in synchrony, the only one that we know of in the Bronze Age Mediterranean area. ... In Pro-ceedings of the 9th Cretological congress, Elounda (Crete), 1-7 October 2001. Vol. A4. ...
We report the results of our archaeoastronomical investigation of the unique building at Chamaizi... more We report the results of our archaeoastronomical investigation of the unique building at Chamaizi in eastern Crete. The structure has been an enigma to Aegean archaeologists because of its oval shape, which is unparalleled in Minoan architecture. Religion has figured prominently in the discussions of the house’s function, primarily due to the discovery of a well and some figurines. We had included it in our pilot study of Minoan astronomical interest since some scholars have categorized it as a peak sanctuary, and these sites are ideally located for astronomical observations. An axial symmetry for the building, however, was impossible to calculate, and this discouraged us to the extent that we left its evaluation to a late stage in our work. When we returned to our data, with the knowledge acquired from our study of a number of other Minoan buildings, we were in a better position to study the house and understand its function. The main entrance was orientated to sunrise on the morni...
In 1991 the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock-carv... more In 1991 the first identifications were made of total solar eclipses depicted on Swedish rock-carvings from the Bronze Age, ca 1800-500 BC. It was found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses were dated in a calendar in which six ships carried the sun along the ecliptic, each ship representing a double month. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as prehistoric constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a precise location of the solar symbol in the relevant calendar ship. Above the ship that corresponds to the double month that began at the summer solstice there was a constellation that mainly corresponds to our Leo. A supernova that was mentioned in Chinese oracle bone texts from the 14th century BC can also be identified on Swedish rock carvings as a solar symbol placed below the ecliptic and close to the left elbow of a male figure that lifts the highest of the six calendar ships above his head. This figure corresponds mainly to ...
A correct identification of ancient solar eclipses is not only important for historical reasons b... more A correct identification of ancient solar eclipses is not only important for historical reasons but also gives the possibility to determine the acceleration of the longitude of the Moon to a high p ...
Akademia Humanistyczna im. Aleksandra Gieysztora Instytut Antropologii i Archaeologii GRÓB MIKOŁAJA KOPERNIKA ODKRYCIE I IDENTYFIKACJA Nicholaus’ Copernicus Tomb Discovery and Identification Redakcja naukowa Jerzy Gassowski Pułtusk 2010, 2010
The paper below is Göran Henrikssons’ contribution to the Proceedings of the
Symposium in Pułtusk... more The paper below is Göran Henrikssons’ contribution to the Proceedings of the Symposium in Pułtusk on 12-13 December 2009: Nicholaus’ Copernicus Tomb, Discovery and Identification. It is published in the Proceedings of the Symposium on the pages 185-192, but without figures.
Proceedings of the SEAC 2009 Conference in Alexandria, Egypt, 2021
the predicted pattern of solar eclipses on the mechanism with my tables for Syracuse, Taurmina, A... more the predicted pattern of solar eclipses on the mechanism with my tables for Syracuse, Taurmina, Athens and City of Rhodes. The median deviation was 3 minutes for Syracuse, 50 minutes for Athens and 84 minutes for City of Rhodes. The conclusion is that the original calibration was made in Syracuse in 243 BCE by Archimedes. The inscriptions on the Antikythera Mechanism were made in 100-150 BCE and the last Exeligmos started in 134 BCE. The next Exeligmos was expected to start in 80 BCE but it failed. The last year corresponds to the date of the accident when the ship with the Mechanism onboard sunk close to the island of Antikythera.
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3600 grooves cut in the bedrock or on big stones. They can be found on the ancient
shores of lakes and in connection with the coastal settlements and finds of the Neolithic
Pitted Ware Culture. The grooves have a typical length of 50-110 cm, width of 5-10 cm
and depth of 1-10 cm. They follow closely a circular arc in both the length and width crosssections
(Fig. 1; 2). The surface is very smooth and they must have been cut by a stable
machine, using quartz sand and water (Fig. 3) The mean of the radius of curvature for ca
400 grooves is 2.83 m.
In 1991 the author found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses would have been dated in a calendar with six ships that carried the sun along the ecliptic. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a correct position of the symbol for the sun in the actual calendar ship. If planets were visible during the eclipse they were reproduced as cup-marks in correct position in relation to the sun.
A comet was visible during the two total solar eclipses in 1596 BC and 858 BC. The
author has been able to identify this as the periodic comet Encke and its orbit has been checked by comparison with the Chinese chronicles. The earliest identification of Encke on the Swedish rock carvings goes back to 1758 BC.
*
3600 grooves cut in the bedrock or on big stones. They can be found on the ancient
shores of lakes and in connection with the coastal settlements and finds of the Neolithic
Pitted Ware Culture. The grooves have a typical length of 50-110 cm, width of 5-10 cm
and depth of 1-10 cm. They follow closely a circular arc in both the length and width crosssections
(Fig. 1; 2). The surface is very smooth and they must have been cut by a stable
machine, using quartz sand and water (Fig. 3) The mean of the radius of curvature for ca
400 grooves is 2.83 m.
In 1991 the author found that important phenomena in the sky such as solar eclipses would have been dated in a calendar with six ships that carried the sun along the ecliptic. The ships have individual shapes and can be identified as constellations. A total solar eclipse was simply dated by a correct position of the symbol for the sun in the actual calendar ship. If planets were visible during the eclipse they were reproduced as cup-marks in correct position in relation to the sun.
A comet was visible during the two total solar eclipses in 1596 BC and 858 BC. The
author has been able to identify this as the periodic comet Encke and its orbit has been checked by comparison with the Chinese chronicles. The earliest identification of Encke on the Swedish rock carvings goes back to 1758 BC.
*
Symposium in Pułtusk on 12-13 December 2009: Nicholaus’ Copernicus Tomb,
Discovery and Identification. It is published in the Proceedings of the Symposium on
the pages 185-192, but without figures.