Chariot and Bird Depictions

Material: Bronze

Date: 12th–8th century BCE

Origin:

Trávnik na Ostrove, Nitriansky kraj (Slovakia);

Unidentified find sites (Slovakia)

This display features bronze depictions of chariots and waterbirds from the Central European Bronze Age. These motifs are among the most distinctive symbols of the sun cult, expressing the divine journey of the solar deity across the heavens. The birds, often shown accompanying the chariot, evoke the motion of celestial forces and the passage of the sun over the sky.

Such imagery embodies an ancient cosmology in which chariots and waterfowl served as vehicles of the sun god, linking the divine with the natural world. The craftsmanship reflects both artistic refinement and ritual function, suggesting that these bronzes were used in ceremonies celebrating solar cycles or regeneration.

Their recurring forms across multiple Central European sites highlight shared religious traditions and iconography that connected distant Bronze Age communities through belief in the sun’s eternal journey.

Museum label reference:

Waterbirds and chariots point to the journey of the sun god across the firmament.

Original Text:

“Wasservögel und Wagen weisen auf die Reise des Sonnengottes über das Firmament.”

Taken on  Tuesday 06th of August 2019

Device: Google

Model: Pixel 3 XL

Tags:  bronze | chariot | germany | metal | museum | neues museum | pendant | ritual item | solar symbol | sun cross | sun god

Genre:  12th–8th Century BC