physorg.com— Human remains excavated in a cathedral in northern Poland are very likely those of the Renaissance astronomer Nicolas Copernicus.
Nov 4, 2005View in Crawl 4
How come its always someone famous that they excavate - how come its not just "Ronnie - the alterboy who never grewup but sure did love candied apples"?
Math Genius, to answer you question of how he got down there. It was common practice to bury famous people under the floors of cathedrals. The more famous the person the better the spot. The best spot being underneath the altar. Also the location of many of these burial sites was kept secret as to prevent people from disturbing the graves (so good job there archaeologists). The most interesting thing I think about this is that the man was considered somewhat of a heretic in his time for his writing, yet he was still buried in a church. Well that's our lesson for today class any questions?( and before everyone goes all freaky on me I know it is an archaeologist job to dig up sites like these I was just kidding)
well, people had suggested that the planets revolved around the sun before copernicus. He is famous because he made an accurate model of the solar system that included amazingly accurate distances of the planets from the sun in AU's by using their angle of greatest elongation. sin(angle of greatest elongation) = D(planet to sun)/1AU. Its funny how many great findings use such simple math but such clever and complex thought. Like how eratostenes measured the circumference of the earth... brilliant... purely brilliant
5woopNov 4, 2005
more photos:<a class="user" href="http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/fotografie/5,35076,2999168.html">http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/fotografie/5,35076,2999168.html</a>
kidinthehallNov 4, 2005
How come its always someone famous that they excavate - how come its not just "Ronnie - the alterboy who never grewup but sure did love candied apples"?
dknightonNov 4, 2005
Yeah...James Cromwell could definitely play Copernicus if his life is ever brought to the big screen.
aircoolscottNov 4, 2005
I Digg the story of him getting Digged up.
gibillNov 4, 2005
Math Genius, to answer you question of how he got down there. It was common practice to bury famous people under the floors of cathedrals. The more famous the person the better the spot. The best spot being underneath the altar. Also the location of many of these burial sites was kept secret as to prevent people from disturbing the graves (so good job there archaeologists). The most interesting thing I think about this is that the man was considered somewhat of a heretic in his time for his writing, yet he was still buried in a church. Well that's our lesson for today class any questions?( and before everyone goes all freaky on me I know it is an archaeologist job to dig up sites like these I was just kidding)
superfluousNov 4, 2005
well, people had suggested that the planets revolved around the sun before copernicus. He is famous because he made an accurate model of the solar system that included amazingly accurate distances of the planets from the sun in AU's by using their angle of greatest elongation. sin(angle of greatest elongation) = D(planet to sun)/1AU. Its funny how many great findings use such simple math but such clever and complex thought. Like how eratostenes measured the circumference of the earth... brilliant... purely brilliant
p014kNov 6, 2005Submitter
The Polish bury all their famous people in cathedrals, wheather it be in the crypt or in a basilica.