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The spectacular discovery of the oldest calendar in Europe really happened, but back in 1978, when archaeologist Ph.D. Aleksandar Durman found the Orion vessel in Vinkovci, under today's Hotel Slavonija. The Orion vessel itself was a great mystery at the time, but twenty years later Mr. Durman understood and discovered the meaning hidden by that vessel. He discovered how the vessel was Orion calendar, the oldest European calendar which dates back to 2.600 years before Christ.
Huh, how about this? We are not talking about some kind of legend or marketing story, but about a historical-scientific fact.
Last week on the front pages of most of the world's newspapers and portals was the spectacular news that British archaeologists discovered new stone blocks at the world-famous Stonehenge site in England. By filming the site with special cameras, over 90 stones were found buried under about a meter of ground at the Darrington Walls location, which is located less than three kilometers from Stonehenge.
The news is certainly significant and spectacular, and with new discoveries we may get a deeper meaning of the locality itself. Today, Stonehenge is a leading archaeological and tourist attraction in Great Britain and the world, which has been on the UNESCO list of protected heritage since 1986, and is unofficially considered one of the wonders of the world. It is interesting that this tourist attraction, known all over the world, was visited by only 2014 million tourists in 1,3.
The true meaning of Stonehenge is still unknown, but there are two theories about which archaeologists and scientists are in doubt. The first is that the locality is a place of religious rituals and ceremonies where the builders paid tribute to the Sun. Another more recent theory is that Stonehenge is actually a solar calendar with which the builders predicted astronomical phenomena in the sky as well as the winter and summer solstice. Stonehenge is certainly a significant archaeological discovery and rightfully bears the unofficial title of World Wonder, but I wonder why no one knows about the oldest city in Europe, which has continued to live for over 8.300 years? Why hasn't anyone heard of Orion, the oldest calendar in Europe, about 400-500 years older than Stonehenge? How come thousands of tourists do not come to the cradle of European civilization?
Do you know where the first serial production of metal in the world began? Where was the first organized army in Europe created? Which city is the cradle of civilization in Europe? Where was the first letter in Europe created?
Many questions, but only one answer - the town of Vinkovci. Yes, the town of Vinkovci from Croatia is the cradle of European civilization.
This post is precisely motivated by that fact, i.e. question. Why does the whole world know about Stonehenge, but not about Orion and the oldest city in Europe, which has stood proudly on its foundations for 8.300 years? Personally, I believe that it is our own fault because neither the people of Vinkovci nor the Croats, let alone the Europeans, know these facts. The problem is that we do not know how to appreciate and respect ourselves, our culture, history and heritage. We have the most important thing: a credible, true and historically-scientifically proven fact. We have everything, we just need to package it nicely and sell the story. I always point out: Respect yourself, others will respect you.
When a civilization has a calendar, then, as pointed out by Ph.D. Aleksandar Durman forces society to be organized according to him - that is the pinnacle of civilization. The first serial production of metal in the world just started from Vinkovci in the era of the Vučedol culture, where molds (the first two-part ceramic molds) and over 60 axes of the same dimensions and weight made from these molds were found.
"When you distribute those 60 axes to your community or tribe, then we get the first armed army on European soil. Also, the people of Vučedolci were the first to perfect the processing of metals with copper, i.e. arsenic bronze, which was not possible until then because copper as a metal is too soft" - points out prof. Durman
If the vessel is the Orion calendar, and according to the facts and interpretation of prof. Durmana, then we can also talk about the first letter in Europe. This is only part of the facts associated with the Vučedol culture, and it is proof of the first truly developed and most advanced civilization, which set the standards of living in Europe. We are talking about the time when other civilizations developed, such as the earlier era of Troy and Egypt. It is difficult to accept the fact that the cradle of European civilization originates from Vinkovci, and even Greece traces its roots from Vučedol. Interesting, isn't it?
Archaeologist Ph.D. Aleksandar Durman dedicated his life to research, study and ultimately understanding all the pieces of this Vučedol mosaic. He was declared "crazy" all the time, and I'm sure to this day that he is "crazy" for many, but behind his words there are facts, arguments and irrefutable evidence.
Two "lunatics" who claim that Vinkovci has the tourist potential to attract over a million tourists / Goran Rihelj (with his heir son David) and Ph.D. Alexander Durman
CROATIA'S ENTRY INTO THE EU
When Croatia finally joined the European Union, I personally had a feeling of pride, but on the other hand, I also felt that Europe somehow felt sorry for itself after twelve long years of negotiations. A bitter taste in the mouth, the impression that we entered the EU somehow embarrassed. I believe that Croatia's entry into the EU should have been exactly the opposite, because when we talk about Europe, the story must begin with the cradle of civilization on European soil - the Vučedol culture.
Without disparaging the site in England, but if you were to compare Stonehenge and the Orion calendar, the fact is that Orion is civilizationally and technologically much more advanced, more extensive and more significant. It is tragic that Vinkovci and Vukovar are not on the tourist map of the world as a place where European civilization was born and developed. Again, we don't know what we have until some foreigner comes along and makes a story about Orion, of course for his own pocket.
VINKOVCI HAS THE TOURIST POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT OVER A MILLION TOURISTS
Personally, I have been claiming for years that it is precisely the story of Orion and Vinkovci as the oldest town in Europe that can attract over a million tourists a year to Vinkovci alone. They tell me I'm crazy, and in fact, in a conversation with Professor Durman, I realized that I really am crazy because I misjudged. The potential of one million tourists that I am talking about is actually much higher. As Durman points out, over 7 billion people live on the globe today, of which 5 billion speak Indo-European languages. So, we are talking about the potential of two thirds of humanity, i.e. tourists that we can bring to Vinkovci and Vukovar to see and understand civilization. Ok, I know it sounds crazy and how impossible it is and how exaggerated this figure is, but let's start with a million tourists a year.
Orion - the oldest European calendar / Photo: Darko Puharić - Design Studio D
Try to visualize the Orion calendar as a construction object. The building, i.e. the object of the replica of the Orion calendar, in which there are: hotels, museum, restaurants, cafes, faculties, science center, observatory, various conference halls, business premises and all other accompanying facilities.
Egypt has its pyramids, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, England has Stonehenge... why couldn't Vinkovci have their own monumental Orion? Close your eyes and visualize what it would look like… Worldly, right? A new wonder of the world in Vinkovci! By the way, the Eiffel Tower is visited by almost seven million visitors a year
Through this prism, the number of one million tourists per year is certainly ridiculous or, in the worst case, realistic.
If we know that according to the TOMAS survey Summer 2014, the average daily consumption of tourists is EUR 66,3, if we multiply that by one million tourists, the calculation is more than clear. When we look at the bigger picture in the context of the development of tourism in Croatia, it is clear that continental tourism can certainly bring in the same or more money than marine tourism, especially since we know that marine tourism is based on three months, while continental tourism is year-round tourism. So much for the potential of continental tourism.
Finally, I quote our Croatian Indiana Jones, Ph.D. Aleksandar Durman "The people of Vinkovci have a reason to be proud of the prehistory and history of their town and their Bosut - the European Euphrates and the Nile - on the right bend of which European civilization sprung up and developed!"
Let's be proud and respect ourselves because then others will respect us.
Greetings from the oldest city in Europe,
PS If you think I'm writing nonsense and exaggerating, I suggest you visit the Vučedol culture museum in Vukovar and see for yourself www.vucedol.hr
Goran Rihelj
