8 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Celts’ Astronomical Secrets: The Chão de Lamas Lunula and the Coligny Calendar Connection

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Palaeohispanica has shed light on the ancient timekeeping practices of the Celts, centering on a unique piece of jewelry known as the lunula from the Chão de Lamas treasure in Portugal. Conducted by Professor Roberto Matesanz Gascón from the University of Valladolid, the research posits that this intricately designed gold artifact may hold crucial information regarding the synchronization of lunar and solar cycles within the Celtic calendar.

Traditionally viewed as a mere decorative item, the lunula—shaped like a half-moon and discovered in Chão de Lamas (Miranda do Corvo, Coimbra)—has now been reinterpreted. Matesanz’s analysis of its complex geometric patterns suggests that it could serve as a visual representation of a Celtic calendrical cycle lasting 114 years. This timeframe aligns with six Metonic cycles, each spanning 19 years, which is a known astronomical framework that facilitates the alignment of lunar and solar calendars.

The Coligny calendar, an important epigraphic source from France dating back to the 2nd century AD, provides detailed insights into how the Celts structured their time. It organizes time into five-year cycles comprising 62 months, totaling 1,835 days. However, scholars have long debated how these cycles correspond to the tropical year of 365.24 days.

Matesanz’s study is particularly innovative as it establishes a connection between the Coligny calendar and the geometric designs of the Chão de Lamas lunula. He theorizes that the circular motifs on the jewel represent a timekeeping system that adjusts the solar year by eliminating 53 days every 114 years. This intriguing figure of 53 days is also referenced in Irish literary sources, hinting at a potential link to Celtic traditions in Ireland.

Detail of the lunula and nomenclature of the circular motifs present in it. Credit: Piero Baguzzi / R. Matesanz / MAN, Ministerio de Cultura de España
Detail of the lunula and nomenclature of the circular motifs present in it. Credit: Piero Baguzzi / R. Matesanz / MAN, Ministerio de Cultura de España

Geometric Patterns and Celestial Alignments

The lunula’s design is more than decorative; it features large concentric circles and smaller circles with central dots, organized into five distinct sections. Matesanz suggests that these elements may correspond to the months within the Celtic calendar’s five-year cycle.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The arrangement of these geometric motifs is critical. The study indicates that the lunula’s elements could symbolize six five-year cycles, each containing 62 months, culminating in a total of 30 years—referred to as the Celtic saeculum by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History. However, this calculation results in an excess of 53 days compared to the solar cycle.

To address this discrepancy, Matesanz proposes that the Celts would have adjusted their calendar every 114 years by omitting these days, ensuring that their festivals and astronomical observations remained in sync with the changing seasons.

The Coligny calendar. Credit: Wikipedia

Connections to Irish Mythology

One of the most captivating aspects of this research is the appearance of the 53-day figure in Irish Gaelic texts, particularly in the medieval tale Baile in Scáil. In this narrative, the legendary king Conn Cétchathach encounters a magical stone on the Hill of Tara, with his druids stating they cannot reveal his name until 53 days have elapsed. This period of silence may correspond to the days omitted in the Celtic calendar to maintain its alignment with the solar year.

If validated, this hypothesis would indicate that Celtic oral traditions preserved elements of an ancient time synchronization method, even centuries after Roman influence. It would further support the notion that Celtic civilization possessed sophisticated astronomical knowledge, evident in both their artifacts and mythology.

The study also prompts a reevaluation of the role of art as a symbolic language among the Celts. The Chão de Lamas lunula may exemplify how they integrated abstract and mathematical concepts into their artistic expressions.

Additional archaeological discoveries bolster this perspective. In the Iberian Peninsula, similar iconographic objects, such as the Axtroki bowls and the Leiro helmet, suggest potential calendrical functions. Meanwhile, in Central Europe, artifacts like the Schifferstadt-type golden hats have been interpreted as timekeeping instruments, reinforcing the idea of a shared understanding of time across ancient cultures.

Roberto Matesanz Gascón, The lunula with geometric decoration of the treasure of Chão de Lamas and the Celtic calendar. Palaeohispanica, vol.24 (2024). doi.org/10.36707/palaeohispanica.v24i1.543

Cover Image Credit: Piero Baguzzi / R. Matesanz / MAN, Ministerio de Cultura de España

Related Articles

The first settlement of the Cimmerians in Anatolia may be Büklükale

7 June 2022

7 June 2022

Archaeologists estimated that the first settlement in Anatolia of the Cimmerians, who left Southern Ukraine before Christ (about 8th century...

2,000-Year-Old Graves Found in Kyrgyzstan Reveal Hidden Chapter of Silk Road History

12 August 2025

12 August 2025

Archaeologists have discovered graves dating back approximately 2,000 years in the village of Kyzyl-Koshun-1, located in the Batken district of...

Medieval Beauty Secrets Uncovered: Rare Hair-Styling Tool Found at Scotland’s Eilean Donan Castle

30 September 2025

30 September 2025

A rare medieval hair-styling implement has been uncovered during excavations at Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands, offering an...

New AI Tool ‘Fragmentarium’ Brings Ancient Babylonian Texts Together

6 February 2023

6 February 2023

An artificial intelligence (AI) bot was developed by linguists at the Institute for Assyriology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany...

Iron Age Warriors Bend the Swords of Their Defeated Enemies

22 April 2021

22 April 2021

Archaeologists from the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL) announced that a metal detector has discovered “one of the largest Iron Age...

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: The Dark Age of Ancient Scrolls Ends

2 May 2025

2 May 2025

Artificial intelligence, often envisioned for future applications, is now playing a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of the past....

Bronze Age family systems deciphered: Paleogeneticists analyze 3,800-year-old extended family

31 August 2023

31 August 2023

A Bronze Age family living 3,800 years ago in the Southern Urals may have taken a flexible approach to marriage,...

The excavation, which started in a cave in Turkey’s Mardin, turned into a huge underground city

19 April 2022

19 April 2022

In an underground city known used as a settlement in the early Christian era, in the Midyat district of Mardin,...

A rare Roman cornu mouthpiece found at Vindolanda

23 September 2022

23 September 2022

Just south of Hadrian’s Wall, archaeologists have discovered an extremely rare Roman cornu mouthpiece beneath the remains of the ancient...

Archaeologists uncover a 1,500-year-old Lost Mayan city in the Yucatan

28 May 2022

28 May 2022

Researchers have presented their findings after discovering the remnants of an ancient Mayan city on a building site in Mexico....

One of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK has been unearthed next to Leicester Cathedral

21 November 2024

21 November 2024

While excavating the gardens of Leicester Cathedral for the future construction of a learning center, archaeologists uncovered one of the...

Ancient Warrior Vessel Discovered at Chankillo, The Oldest Solar Observatory in the Americas

1 September 2025

1 September 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a fragmented vessel depicting a warrior at Chankillo, the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, located in...

1900 years old a Customs Inscription from the Lycian civilization reveals Anatolia’s strategic importance in maritime trade

16 September 2023

16 September 2023

A Customs Inscription from the Lycian civilization, located in Andriake port in the southern province of Antalya’s Demre district, tells...

A 1,100-year-old lead amulet of Bulgarian soldiers sieges Constantinople found

31 March 2023

31 March 2023

A lead plate amulet bearing an inscription in Cyrillic dating from the times of Tsar Simeon the Great was discovered...

2,200-year-old Greek sling bullet may have been used against Jews

9 December 2022

9 December 2022

A 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet was discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the central Israeli city of Yavne,...