Archaeologists claim to have discovered what is believed to be the world's oldest calendar, carved into a 12,000-year-old stone pillar at the Göbekli Tepe site, potentially challenging our current understanding of civilization.
The calendar is said to depict 365 "V" symbols representing days, divided into 12 lunar months plus an additional 11 days, suggesting a lunisolar calendar based on Moon phases and the Sun's position.
Göbekli Tepe is claimed to be the oldest known example of monumental architecture, consisting of circular and oval enclosures with massive T-shaped columns adorned with symbolic animal images and abstract symbols. The inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were skilled sky observers and may have played a role in the development of writing, although this occurred several thousand years later.
Symbols at the site are claimed to represent a depiction of the Taurid meteor shower, and carvings indicating a comet strike that led to the extinction of large animals and a mini ice age.
The depiction of a comet impact lasting 1200 years on a different artifact suggests a significant event that forced ancient people to transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settling down, kickstarting the development of civilization. The carvings at Göbekli Tepe were likely crucial to its inhabitants over millennia, possibly leading to the development of a new religion or cult following a comet impact around 10,850 BCE, which may have triggered a brief ice age and changes in human lifestyle and agriculture.
The Younger Dryas, a period of abrupt cooling around 13,000 years ago, may have influenced human cultures, leading to advancements in agriculture and religion, though the exact cause of this event is still debated by scientists.
Built by hunter-gatherers from 9,600 to 8,200 BC, Göbekli Tepe predates Stonehenge by over 6,000 years. Its purpose has puzzled experts for decades. The site is believed to be linked to rituals like funerals. Its advanced technological features from the Paleolithic-Neolithic period provide a chance to explore new perspectives on human evolution.
Sources: Independent, Olhar Digital, Clarín, Correio Braziliense, Mystery Planet, Daily Caller, Scenarieconomici, Earth, Anlatilanin Otesi, Marion Star, G4Media, Irish Examiner, Vosveteit, Daily Record, Daily Star, Hello Magyar.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
