Signs, decorations, symbols – the Bronze Age is rich in mysterious symbols. Yet there are no written records. Interpreting these signs is difficult. Many mysteries of the past will probably never be unravelled. Yet the repeated discovery of the same symbols alone tells us something about their meaning. For instance, in some pile-dwelling settlements, one or two moon horns are found in almost every house. Were they part of a household altar as cult objects? Or did the lines and dots on them serve as a calendar system?

Time and again, archaeologists find virtually the entire household’s belongings as grave goods in the magnificent burial sites of high-ranking individuals: pots and vessels filled with food, hunting weapons, a decorated chariot for the journey to the afterlife. Was it to ensure the deceased lacked for nothing in their final resting place? Or was the journey there so long?

Depictions of warriors with shields and horses, of houses and animals, carved into rock thousands of years ago: what is the significance of these pictograms? Was someone marking their property along a trade route, or were they offering a simple token of thanks for the safe outcome of their journey?

As early as 10,000 years ago, shamans performed ritual ceremonies. Their amulets and magical objects are known as distinctive items in the archaeological record. Rattles, clappers, drums, crowns of feathers or leaves, mounted beaver or boar tusks, and even masks made from human or deer skulls were part of their repertoire. But how were they used?

Sacrificial fires and sanctuaries on mountains, conspicuously large quantities of burnt animal bones on stone benches, tonnes of shards at sacred sites in the open countryside, hundreds of bronze offerings in the woods … Are these the remains of regular ceremonies at specific times of year, such as thanksgiving offerings for a good harvest, or the ceremonial driving away of winter? Perhaps also the constant invocation of blessings for the community?

Historical accounts from ancient literate civilisations, such as the Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Romans or Greeks, help to decipher inexplicable finds. The Bible also provides clues. And every new discovery expands our knowledge of the mysteries of the past. That is what makes

archaeology so fascinating. Even if the religious beliefs and cults of ancient societies often remain a mystery.