Some of the oldest known swastikas date to 10,000–17,000 BCE and were found in Ukraine, with examples also documented in Russia, Greece, Troy, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, India, Iran and Iraq. The Samarra culture was in present-day Iraq—not Iran or Russia—and its swastika motifs date to around 5000 BCE. Tarim Basin mummies wore clothing with swastika patterns; some had blond or red hair. Hopi, Navajo, Maya and Aztec cultures also used the symbol. Swastika carvings appear in Ethiopia’s Lalibela rock-hewn churches, and the symbol remains sacred or auspicious in South and East Asia.
Swastika predates Nazi ideology by over 10,000 years across global cultures
Key facts
- The earliest known swastikas date to roughly 10,000–17,000 BCE, including a late Paleolithic example found in Ukraine.
- Examples were also found in Russia, Greece, Troy, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, India, Iran and Iraq.
- The Samarra culture was in present-day Iraq—not Iran or Russia—and Samarra-period swastika motifs date to around 5000 BCE.
- Tarim Basin mummies wore clothing bearing swastika patterns; some had blond or red hair.
- Hopi, Navajo, Maya and Aztec cultures also used the swastika.
- Swastika carvings appear in the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia.
- The symbol remains sacred or auspicious in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions across South and East Asia.
Sources
Swastika (Germanic Iron Age)en.wikipedia.org
The swastika symbol in the Germanic Iron Age has been interpreted as having a sacral meaning, associated with either Odin or Thor.
The Global Swastika: Exploring Its Ancient Roots and ...thearchaeologist.org
The swastika's story begins thousands of years ago, with some of the earliest known artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era. A striking ...
History of the Swastikafcit.usf.edu
It is believed to be the earliest known symbol, the solar wheel, the movement and power of the sun, the origin acting upon the universe, a positive symbol ...
The Swastika Symbol in Ancient Greek and Etruscan ...greekreporter.com
Later swastikas were found in the Iranian mountains, inscribed on stone walls, estimated to be more than 7,000 years old. One was discovered ...
10 different uses of the swastika. None of them Nazibbc.co.uk
By the Bronze Age, swastikas were found across Europe as well as in India. This clay pot was found in a burial mound in Ukraine and is around 4,000 years old.
History of the Swastika & Its Use as a Nazi Symbolencyclopedia.ushmm.org
The swastika is an ancient symbol that was used in many different cultures for at least 5,000 years before Adolf Hitler made it the centerpiece ...
Swastikaen.wikipedia.org
The earliest known swastikas are from 10,000 to 17,000 BCE – part of "an intricate meander pattern of joined-up swastikas" found on a late Paleolithic figurine ...
Swastika | Communication and Mass Mediaebsco.com
The swastika first appeared around 10,000 BCE on an ivory carved bird figurine. The swastika is found on ancient African pottery, Neolithic carvings in England,
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