The Emergence of the Symbol of the Meander as a Manifestation of the Religious Vision of the World by the Palaeolithic Man

Abstract

Background. Among all the Palaeolithic characters, perhaps the most mysterious and complex is the meander symbol that appeared in the 23rd millennium BC. Its semantic meaning remains a problem. The article aims at finding out what ideas about the world could position the sign of the meander in the Palaeolithic and comparing them with the characteristic of the zodiacal sign that dominated during the period of its appearance. Methods. The author used the method of semantic analysis of the meander symbols, viewing them in chronological sequence and the method of comparison to determine the conformity of the characteristics of zodiac signs to the ideas about the world of the Palaeolithic. The study resulted in finding that the meander symbol originated from smoothly curved lines, similar to waves, river flow, the curves of a snake. The inclusion in the meander of animal figures indicates that it symbolized the endless motion in heaven and on earth, the flow of life (being). This gives grounds for asserting that the occurrence of this sign falls on the era of Aquarius (23,650 - 21,500 BC). The formation of the swastika sign occurs in the Sagittarius era (18th millennium BC). Conclusion. The reflection of religious-ideological representations in the characteristics of zodiacal signs dominant at the time shows that this is the result of not human thought, but God's providence. Such a conclusion does not contradict the modern post-non-classical interpretation of the historical development of mankind, viewing the world-historical process as holistic.