When you purchase through radio link on our website , we may earn an affiliate mission . Here ’s how it works .
Carvings chisel into a large stone pillar in Turkey nearly 13,000 age ago may be the existence ’s oldest sun - and - moon calendar , a new bailiwick suggests . And the calendar may have been carved to pock a catastrophiccometstrike .
archaeologist chance on the markings at Göbekli Tepe , an archeologic site in southern Turkey that ’s known for its abundance of temple with in an elaborate way etch drawings , accord to the study , which was published July 24 in the journalTime and Mind .
Each V-shaped carving represents a single day, while the bird-like animal represents the summer solstice.
The new studied pillar take 365 V - shaped symbolisation . Researchers opine each " V " represents a single Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , with the full calendar encompassing " 12 lunar calendar month in addition to 11 extra day , " allot to astatementfrom the University of Edinburgh .
In addition to the " V " symbols , research worker analyzed a sculpture of a " fowl - similar beast " with a alike cinque shape carved around its neck . This drawing could represent " the summertime solstice configuration at the meter " it was carved , according to the statement .
Related:3,500 - yr - former tablet in Turkey twist out to be a shopping list
The drawings , which were likely made in about 10850 B.C. , were a way to record acomet strike that took place during that time . They show that these early inhabitants could " record their observations of thesun , moonand constellations in the contour of a solar calendar , " agree to the statement .
— Stonehenge may have been used as a solar calendar
— 2,800 - year - old ivory carve with sphinx discovered in Turkey
— ' Ritual text ' from miss Indo - European language discovered on ancient clay lozenge in Turkey
investigator conceive the impact of the comet ten-strike , which may have triggered an ice geezerhood , was enough to do a ethnical shift within Göbekli Tepe and may have even lead in the formation of a " new fad or organized religion , " harmonise to the statement .
" It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky , which is to be expect given their world had been devastated by a comet rap , " study authorMartin Sweatman , an railroad engineer at the University of Edinburgh , said in the statement . " This upshot might have set off civilization by initiate a new religion and by incite development in agriculture to cope with the inhuman clime . perchance , their attempts to record what they ensure are the first steps towards the evolution of save millenary subsequently . "
The name are similar to those found at anotherarchaeological site in Turkey ’s Urfa region .
