Druid Spirals (Vortices) and Nets - 5500 BCE to 550 CE

Aegean Cycladic Island Trivet 2500 BCE

This trivet shows the life network with its nodes being the druid spirals (vortices) representing both stars and spiritual powers including dead souls. The lower half of the trivet contains representations of the water collecting under-dome (goddess Kate/Hekate) with the fish and the sky-dome (god Hu). Below the sky dome are two stalks of wheat as an examples of manifested life forms on the earth plane located below the sky-dome.
Early Cycladic period II "frying pan" dating to 28th-23rd centuries BCE from Grave 74, Chalandriani, Syros, Greece. Object at National Archaeological Museum of Athens (NAMA 4974). Taken by Angela O'Brian and used with permission at @GrecianGirly@mastodon.social.

Aegean Cycladic Island Trivet 2500 BCE

This trivet has a concentric circle pattern with 7 circles meant to represent the 7 heavens or planetary sky shells. (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). The rays coming off of these middle layer divine powers are the manifested fertility fluids of light/heat and rain.
From Museum of Cycladic Art. Online at:https://cycladic.gr/en/exhibit/ng0099-tiganoschimo-skeuos

Triskelion at Winter Solstice cave at Newgrange in Ireland

Top image shows a 12 inch diameter triskelion symbol inside the cave like Newgrange, Ireland tomb chamber which lights up on the morning of the winter solstice when the sun aligns with its doorway. This triskelion represents the three motion powers sourced by the night sky to complement the life powers represented by the sun. A single vortex represents a consolidated set of spiritual powers, that is, a perceptheistic deity.
Bottom image shows the entrance stone spirals with a motion powers (triskelion) on the left and the three paired layers of life powers on the right. They are paired vortices because those powers are male and female.
(Top Image from https://www.newgrange.com/tri-spiral.htm) (Bottom image from https://www.newgrange.com/kerbstone-k1.htm)

Entrance Stone at Newgrange Ireland showing triskelion and 3 layered life deity powers class

Triskelion from New Grange, Ireland (3100 BCE)

(July 3, 2022) The big three Neolithic farming areas in the British Isles around 3100 BCE are the Orkney Islands in the north, the Boyne Valley in Ireland, and the Salisbury Plain in England. These three became centers because they were mostly treeless and thus did not have to be cleared with stone axes. They were closely interconnected culturally with ideas spreading from one to another.

When vertices are found in pairs they representing the paired male and female life deities of the life powers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. If they are a triplet they are representing the deities of the three layers of the non-gendered motion powers.

Two Triskelion stones are located at the Newgrange mound tomb located in Ireland north of Dublin near the Boyne river in Ireland. The mound is 85m (279ft) in diameter and 13m (43ft) high having an area of about 1 acre.

The Newgrange tomb chamber is aligned with the rising sun on the mornings of the Winter Solstice so at that time it is filled with light.

Newgrange is surrounded by 97 large stones called kerbstones some of which are engraved with megalithic art. These originally seem to been vertical and part of a henge at this sight. One of these is a large stone placed at the entrance.

The right side of the entrance stone has paired spirals in three layers corresponding to the 3 layers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm divided into their masculine and feminine halves. These layers bring the life-growth powers to earth from the divine realm. The left side has the Triskelion which represents the motion powers.

https://www.newgrange.com

Newgrange Ireland Site Plan

This drawing shows the outer henge stones which were left undisturbed when the mound was built
https://www.newgrange.com/images.htm

Newgrage Mound Map

Newgrage mound map showing network kerbstones 52 and 67 relative to tomb tunnel and cardinal direction. These network stones were placed in the most important positions.
http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/boyne/newkerbstones.html

Kerbstones at Newgrange Mound

Kerbstones after restoration of mound walls. Originally these stones were upright henge stones at the site before being laid sideways around the tomb mound.
http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/boyne/newkerbstones.html

Life Network on Lower Left of Kerbstone 52 at Newgrange

This kerbstone faces the sun solstice directions. The left side (original top) consists of the three life layers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm on a network. The lowest manifestation life deity (spiral) has a motion owl symbol attached to it which gives it the added power of motion. This means it is referring to earth bound animals and not plants.
The right side (original bottom) consists of oval eggs or embryos surrounded by motion owls which will eventually provide motion. Each egg or embryo contains the three powers of life.
https://www.newgrange.com/newgrange-k52.htm

Life Network on Left of Kerbstone 67 at Newgrange

This kerbstone faces north and it consists of a spiral pair of deities on network.
https://www.newgrange.com/images.htm

Knowth Ritual Macehead (Scepter) from Boyne Valley Ireland

This polished flint macehead was found on September 1, 1982 in the eastern tomb at Knowth in the Boyne river valley. It was found near the door to the right room under a large shale floor tile. The central main mound in which it was found was dated by carbon 14 to be about 2800 BCE. The smaller eastern mound is assumed to be of a slightly later date of around 3000 BCE.
Image from British Museum presentation by Alison Sheridan entitled "Exploring the Wider World of Stonehenge: Long Distance Connections and Movements" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjJZUWTts3M&t=4323sat 1:03:14.

Knowth Ritual Macehead Having Vortices Over Network from Ireland

Drawing of all sides of the Knowth macehead showing that the spirals were set over a network.
Drawing from George Eogan and Hilary Richardson (1982) Two Maceheads from Knowth, County Meath. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandThe Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandVol. 112, pp. 123-138. Online at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25508823?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A9020311826a7a4eff0b590f2baffd960&seq=1

A Network Only Ritual Macehead

Drawing from George Eogan and Hilary Richardson (1982) Two Maceheads from Knowth, County Meath. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandThe Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandVol. 112, pp. 123-138. Online at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25508823?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A9020311826a7a4eff0b590f2baffd960&seq=1

Pottery with spirals/vortices from Sardinia

Spiral Decorated Pottery from Sardinia (3200-2800 BCE)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozieri_culture#/media/File:Neolitico,_cultura_di_ozieri,_ceramica_dalla_grotta_di_s.michele_(ozieri),_3500-2700_ac_ca..JPG

Three layered spirals/vortices from Minoan Crete

Three Layers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm Represented by Three Minoan Vortices (1800 BCE)

This lintel is on display at the Minoan Heraklion Museum in Crete. It shows the three vortex layers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm going through the sky shell. (Olmsted personal photo 2019)

Spirals/Vortices on Garboldisham Ritual Macehead from England

Drawing of Garboldisham Ritual Macehead (Scepter) from East England 2500 BCE

This ritual macehead is carved from red deer antler. It was found in the 1960s deposited in a tributary of the river Little Ouse, Norfolk and is decorated with three spirals. It dates to 2500 BCE.
(Image from Andrew Meirion Jones, Marta Diaz-Guardamino (2017) The Garboldisham macehead: its manufacture, date, archaeological context and significance. Online at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321430456_The_Garboldisham_macehead_its_manufacture_date_archaeological_context_and_significance

Phaistos disk from Minoan Crete is a spiral/vortex

First European Writing: Minoan Phaistos Disk (1800 BCE)

The Minoan Phaistos Disk dates to 1800 BCE. It is now on display in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Crete. It is a religious debate and it's language is Akkadian. (Olmsted personal photo 2019)

Etruscan Magliano Disk (450 BCE)

This lead disk now at the Florence Archaeological Museum.Photo copied from: Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe: Die Etrusker. Karl Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2017, S. 295. Access via: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bleiplatte_von_Magliano.jpg

Spiral on Sesklo Culture Pottery, North Greece (5500 BCE)

The first stop of the Neolithic farmers out of Anatolia was the Balkans (Vinca and Cucuteni–Trypillia cultures) and northern Greece (Sesklo Culture). Combined these cultures and their descendants are called Old Europe. They were the first ones to make copper tools and ornaments. Pot in National Museum of Archaeology, Athens, Greece via https://twitter.com/hermahai/status/1553753089706016768/photo/1

Cucuteni–Trypillia: First to Fall to the Indo-Europeans (5500 to 2750 BCE)

Cucuteni–Trypillia culure grew wheat, rye and peas. Tools included ploughs made of antler, stone, bone and sharpened sticks. The harvest was collected with scythes made of flint-inlaid blades. The grain was milled into flour by quern-stones. Women were involved in pottery, textile- and garment-making, and played a leading role in community life. Men hunted, herded the livestock, made tools from flint, bone and stone. Of their livestock, cattle were the most important, with swine, sheep and goats playing lesser roles.
During its middle phase (c. 4000 to 3500 BCE), populations belonging to the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture built the largest settlements in Neolithic Europe, some of which contained as many as three thousand structures and were possibly inhabited by 20,000 to 46,000 people

Cucuteni–Trypillia Goddess Ayu with Network Lines and Spirals

Not all goddesses with this shape had spirals. Most just had lines representing the life network.
Photo by Marius Amarie from Archaeology Magazine. Online at: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/107-1311/features/tattoos

Cucuteni–Trypillia Pot with Spirals (4000 BCE)

Image from Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cucuteni1.jpg
Originally in: The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000-3500 BC edited by by David W. Anthony and Jennifer Y. Chi, Princeton University Press

Single Spiral/Vortex on Towie Ball Scotland

Source Life Deity? on Towie Ball - Scotland

Dating to 3000 BCE it is made of a black, fine-grained stone, it has an average diameter of 73mm and weighs just over 500g. It has four discs or knobs, of which three are intricately carved and the fourth is blank.
Picture from National Museum of Scotland. Online at:https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/towie-ball/

Paired Spirals/Vorteces on Towie Ball Scotland

Two Layers of Gendered Life Deities for Connective and Manifestation Layers on Towie Ball

More than 430 examples of similar objects are known, with the overwhelming majority being found in Aberdeenshire, where the Towie ball was found. The Towie ball is, however, the finest example.
Picture from National Museum of Scotland. Online at:https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/towie-ball/

Triskelion Spiral/Vortex on Towie Ball Scotland

Non-Gendered Motion Deities for all 3 Layers on Towie Ball (Triskelion)

This ball has four nobs but the bottom one is blank and is meant to be a base.
Picture from National Museum of Scotland. Online at:https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/towie-ball/

Gold Medallion from Vindelev Viking hoard in Denmark Shows Spirals and Letters (550 CE)

The last Druidic spiral design known so far comes from pre-Viking age Denmark. Significantly, this also has Alphabetic Akkadian style lettering showing its evolution into Nordic runes. This gold hoard is on display at Denmark's Vejlemuseerne at: https://www-vejlemuseerne-dk.translate.goog/viden-og-forskning/artikler/kaempe-guldskat-fundet-naer-jelling/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Eagle-Vulture/Griffon Head from Olympia in Greece Showing Druidic Spirals (700 BCE)

Photo from display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Greece by Jean Housen via Wikimedia Commons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20190507_084_olympia_museum.jpg

Druid Spirals on Malta Taken from Various Tombs (3600-2500 BCE)

This photo was taken in the Tarxien Hall at the National Museum of Malta. Online at: https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/national-museum-of-archaeology/

Faint Spirals on Domus de Janas Tomb Walls in Sardinia (3400-2700 BCE)

Photo from Sardinian Blog by Alexandra and Jurgen at https://www.sardinien.blog/2017/domus-de-janas-montessu/

Spirals on a Bull Platform in a Tomb at Domus de Janas Sardinia (3400-2700)

Photo by Nicola Costangia via https://twitter.com/serbiaireland/status/1553386194704146433/photo/1

Storm Spirals on Domed Trivet from Aegean Cycladic Islands (2700-2400 BCE)

Three layered Trivet with outer spirals representing the divine realm. Next inward is the sky-shell containing stars. The connective space is in the middle with triangles pointing at each other. The earth layer with its atmosphere is in the center.
Photo from Louvre CA 2991. Online at: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010260697

Storm Spirals on Domed Trivet from Aegean Cycladic Islands (2700-2400 BCE) Side View

Three layered Trivet with outer spirals representing the divine realm. The connective realm containing the stars is the middle layer. The early layer with its atmosphere is in the center.
Photo from Louvre CA 2991. Online at: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010260697

Storm Spirals on Carthage Child Gravestone (170 BCE)

This is a child gravestone on display at the Carthage National Museum. Image shows the full moon god Su under the skydome over a boat in a storm. The text reads:

Astrological-powers are nourishing the energy. The Eye-of-Fate (full moon god Su) is revealing the energy. The Revealer (Yahu) is nourishing ...
Storm-powers are lacking trimming. The fate-callers (diviners) are lacking goodness. ....

Photo by Pascal Radigue via Wikimedia commons online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A8le_navire_MN_carthage.jpg

Example of Storm Spirals on Jupiter's North Pole

Photo from NASA's Juno mission taken on its 43rd close flyby of Jupiter on July 5, 2022. It's JunoCam instrument captured this view of some hurricane-like spiral wind patterns near the planet's north pole.
Online at: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia25017-nasas-juno-mission-spies-vortices-near-jupiters-north-pole

Trivet Showing the Star Sirus Surrounded by Storm Spirals (3000 BCE)

Three layered Trivet with outer spirals representing the divine realm. Next inward is the connective space with it pointed triangles. The earth is in the center.
On display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. This trivet is from the Early Bronze Age cemetery on the promontory of Agios Kosmas just south of Athens.
A trivet protects wooden alter tops from hot items such as incense burners. The early male archaeologists who discovered these called them "frying pans" and that is the name they continue to go by today. Photo by Schuppi via Wikimedia Commons. Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Agios_Kosmas_%28Attica%29_Finds_10.JPG

Trivet Showing the Earth Surrounded by 3 Layers with Outer Layer Storm Spirals (3000 BCE)

Three layered Trivet with outer spirals representing the divine realm. Next inward is the sky-shell containing stars. The connective space is in the middle with it lines. The earth layer with its atmosphere is in the center.
On display at the Archaeological Museum of Marathon. Trivet from tomb 13 of the archaeological site of Tsepi near Marathon Greece northwest of Athens.
A trivet protects wooden alter tops from hot items such as incense burners. The early male archaeologists who discovered these called them "frying pans" and that is the name they continue to go by today. Photo by Schuppi via Wikimedia Commons. Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frying_pan_from_Tomb_13_of_Tsepi_cemetery.JPG

Storms Spirals on Child's Gold Tiara from Cyprus (1350 BCE)

This was found in a recent excavation of two unspoiled tombs near the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus. The finds include over 150 human skeletons and close to 500 objects including gold jewelry, gemstones and ceramics.
Image from University of Gothenburg in Swedeb at: https://www.gu.se/en/news/gold-jewellery-from-the-time-of-nefertiti-found-in-bronze-age-tombs-in-cyprus

Ritual Bowl from Minoan Crete Has Spiral Like Newgrange Kerbstone 67

Ritual Bowl with Storm Spirals from Minoan Crete Has Spiral Like Newgrange Kerbstone 67 (1800 BCE)

This Minoan ritual bowl labeled F4718 was found in the remains of a 9-room building whose lowest levels had been filled in to make way for new construction. Archaeologists date this bowl to the MMIIB period just prior to a 1750 BCE earthquake which destroyed many buildings. It during the subsequent rebuilding phase that linear A texts first appear. The sign on its bottom is the Phaistos Disk sign "Mi" meaning "fertility fluid power." It is now at the Heraklion museum in Crete.
(Image from: Baldicci, Giorgia (2017) Low Relief Potter’s Marks and the Phaistos Disk, A Note on the Comb Sign. In Annvario (vol. 95) Scuola Archeaologica Italiana di Attene )

Orderly Paired Spirals

These represent the paired masculine and feminine powers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.

Paired horned spirals/vortices from Orkney Islands

Orderly (Horned) Spirals from Orkney

This fragment of a larger stone image shows some paired spirals curling up in the same direction. These are called horned spirals and they seem to be unique to the Orkney islands. This pairing represents the pairing of masculine and feminine life powers in the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.
Image from British Museum presentation by Alison Sheridan entitled "Exploring the Wider World of Stonehenge: Long Distance Connections and Movements" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjJZUWTts3M&t=4323sat 55:08 minutes

Orderly Spiral from Middle Bronze Age Seytomer Hoyuk in Turkey (1600 BCE)

The right item is an amulet showing the horned spiral pattern like that seen in the Orkney Islands off northern Scotland. The left item seem to be a scarab beetle like that found in Egypt.

Reference

Bilgen, Nejat (2019) THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE LAYER SEYİTÖMER HÖYÜK-THE WEST END OF THE PHRYGIAN REGİON. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/41581059/THE_MIDDLE_BRONZE_AGE_LAYER_SEY%C4%B0T%C3%96MER_H%C3%96Y%C3%9CK_THE_WEST_END_OF_THE_PHRYGIAN_REG%C4%B0ON

Horned Spiral/Vortex at Achnabreck, Kilmartin Glen West Scotland

Orderly Spirals at Achnabreck, Kilmartin Glen West Scotland

The date of these is uncertain.
Image from British Museum presentation by Alison Sheridan entitled "Exploring the Wider World of Stonehenge: Long Distance Connections and Movements" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjJZUWTts3M&t=4323s