Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site located in southeastern Turkey that contains the remains of a prehistoric sanctuary – the oldest known place of worship. Numerous symbols are engraved on the walls and pillars of temple-like buildings.
The oldest known lunisolar calendar
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh (UK) claim that the signs on one of the pillars are the oldest known lunisolar calendar. And if so, it means it would have been created millennia before other calendars of this type, experts point out.
According to researchers, residents of this area used observations of the Sun, Moon and star constellations to track the passage of time. Visible in it “V” shaped symbols indicate subsequent days – Experts say.
The calendar includes 12 lunar weeks and 11 additional days. The summer solstice is marked in a special way – with a sign depicting a bird-like creature. Similar “V” shaped signs can be found on nearby sculptures depicting various deities.
Was the calendar created to record the date of the comet impact?
According to scientists the calendar may have been created to record the date of the fall of the comet fragments on Earthwhich occurred between 13,000 and 10,850 BC
This event is believed to have started this Little Ice Agewhich lasted approximately 1,200 years and led to the extinction of many species of plants and animals.
It could also cause changes in lifestyle and agriculture related to the beginnings of civilization in its cradle – in the area of the so-called Fertile Crescent.
On another pillar you can see the turn an engraving that resembles a meteor shower known as the Taurids. It was probably the source of the fragments of the comet mentioned above.
The finding also appears to support the idea that the ancients were able to record dates in relation to the precession of the Earth’s axisthat affects the apparent movement of constellations in the sky, at least 10,000 years before the phenomenon was documented by Hipparchus of Greece in 150 BC
The sculptures were probably of great importance to the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe for millennia, which suggests that the impact of comet fragments may even have spawned a new cult or religionthat influenced the development of civilization.
Is Earth at risk of an increase in the number of comet impacts?
The discovery also supports the theory that Earth is exposed to an increase in the number of comet impactswhen its orbit crosses the path of orbiting comet fragments interacting with the planet as meteor showers.
It seems that the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected considering that your world was devastated by the impact of a comet. This event may have ushered in civilization, starting a new religion and encouraging people to develop agriculture to cope with the cold climate. Perhaps their attempts to record what they saw were the first steps towards the development of writing thousands of years later. – says Dr. Martin Sweatman, author of the work published in “Time and Mind”
