triskelion
Sign in to savethumb|Neolithic triple-spiral symbol
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A triskelion is an ancient symbol consisting of three spirals or curved arms arranged around a center point, dating back to the Neolithic period. It appears in various cultures throughout history and remains a recognizable design motif, though its original significance and meaning continue to be studied by scholars.
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Article
10 sectionsContents
- Use in European antiquity
- Neolithic to Iron Age
- Classical Antiquity
- Roman period and Late Antiquity
- Medieval use
- Modern usage
- Occurrence in nature
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Neolithic triple-spiral symbol
A triskelion, or triskeles, is an ancient motif consisting either of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry or of other patterns in triplicate that emanate from a common center. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human limbs. It occurs in artefacts of the European Neolithic and Bronze Ages with continuation into the Iron Age, especially in the context of the La Tène culture and of related Celtic traditions. The actual triskeles symbol of three human legs is found especially in Greek antiquity, beginning in archaic pottery and continued in coinage of Classical Greece.