Emily Chan
Nearly 13,000 years ago, carvings were etched into a large stone pillar at Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site in southern Turkey.
According to researchers, they could be evidence of the oldest lunisolar calendar in the world. The calendar may have been carved to mark a comet strike that hit Earth and triggered a mini-ice age.
Göbekli Tepe is often referred to as the first temple in the world. The complex consists of several enclosures decorated with intricately carved symbols. It was discovered in the late 20th century and is situated on a hill that is located near the historical city of Urfa.
The stone pillar contains 365 V-shaped symbols. It is believed that each “V” stands for a single day, with the entire calendar representing 12 lunar months with an additional 11 days.
There was also a drawing on the pillar of a “bird-like beast” with a V shape carved around its neck. The drawing may have stood for the summer solstice constellation at the time it was made.
The symbolic V-shaped engravings were likely made in 10,850 B.C. when a comet struck the Earth. They show that these ancient people were capable of recording their observations of the sun, moon, and stars with a solar calendar.
The researchers think that the impact of the comet caused significant environmental changes, triggering a 1,200-year ice age that led to the extinction of many megafauna, such as steppe bison, mammoths, and other large mammals from the Pleistocene era.
The event may have even spurred a cultural shift within Göbekli Tepe by initiating a new cult or religion. In addition, it may have prompted the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture in order to better deal with the cold climate.
Evidence of the comet strike has been found in soil sediments in North America and Greenland. At these locations, high levels of platinum, nanodiamonds, and other materials altered by extreme temperatures were detected.
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