The oldest calendar is 12,000 years old and was created by an astral disaster
At the Turkish site of Göbekli Tepe, carvings on a stone could be the first calendar in history, dated between 10,500 and 13,000 years ago, whose origin could have been the collision of the Earth with a comet.
The markings on a stone pillar at a Turkish archaeological site dating back 12,000 years may represent the world's oldest solar calendar, created in memory of a devastating comet impact.
These markings were discovered at Göbekli Tepe, in southern Turkey, an ancient complex of temple-like enclosures adorned with intricate symbols and may record an astronomical event that triggered a key shift in human civilization. At that time ancient civilizations were capable of recording their observations of the sun, moon, and constellations in the form of a solar calendar, used to track time and mark the changing seasons.
A new analysis of V-shaped symbols engraved on the pillars of the site suggests that each V may represent a single day. This interpretation allowes to count a 365-day solar calendar on one of the pillars, consisting of 12 lunar months plus an additional 11 days.
The summer solstice appears as a special and separate day, represented by a V worn around the neck of a bird-like beast, thought to represent the constellation of the summer solstice at that time. Nearby, other statues, possibly depicting deities, were found with similar V-shaped marks on their necks, indicating other calendar milestones.
Since both the lunar and solar cycles are depicted, the engravings could represent the world's first lunisolar calendar, based on the lunar phases and the position of the sun, predating other known calendars of this type by many millennia.
Ancient peoples may have created these engravings at Göbekli Tepe to record the date when a swarm of comet fragments struck Earth nearly 13,000 years ago, around 10,850 BC.
It is hypothesized that the comet's impact triggered a mini ice age lasting over 1,200 years, wiping out many species of large animals. It may also have triggered changes in lifestyle and agriculture, which are thought to be linked to the birth of civilization shortly thereafter in the fertile crescent of Western Asia.
Another pillar at the site appears to depict the flow of the Taurid meteor stream, which is thought to be the source of the comet fragments, lasting 27 days and originating from the directions of Aquarius and Pisces.
The findings seem to confirm that ancient peoples were capable of recording dates using precession, the wobble of the Earth's axis that affects the movement of constellations in the sky, at least 10,000 years before the phenomenon was documented by Hipparchus of Ancient Greece in 150 BC.
It appears that the engravings remained significant for the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe for millennia, suggesting that the impact event may have triggered a new cult or religion that influenced the development of civilization.
The discovery supports the theory that Earth is subject to a higher number of comet impacts, as its orbit crosses the path of comet fragments that orbit around, usually perceived as meteor streams.
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