Ancient monument in Türkiye may be world’s oldest solar calendar

According to a latest article, Popular Mechanics features that a newly discovered ancient monument in Türkiye may not just be a relic of the past, but possibly the world’s oldest solar calendar. 

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh suggest that the carvings at Göbekli Tepe, a temple-like site in southern Türkiye, could represent an early method of tracking days, seasons, and years.

Published in Time and Mind, the study proposes that each "V" shape carved on the monument’s pillars might signify a single day. One pillar even features 365 of these "V" symbols, mirroring the number of days in a solar year. Of particular interest is the depiction of a "V" around the neck of a bird-like figure, which researchers believe corresponds to a constellation marking the summer solstice.

This potential calendar theory also explains why the "V" symbol appears on statues of deities linked to time and creation at the site, where it frequently appears around their necks.

The calendar's focus on day, night, and seasonal changes might have emerged following a significant comet strike around 10,850 B.C., believed to have contributed to a mini-ice age. "It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky," said Martin Sweatman, lead researcher from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering. "Their world was devastated by a comet strike, which may have triggered new developments in religion and agriculture to adapt to the colder climate. Their attempts to record these events might be the earliest steps toward the development of writing."

The carvings also track the cycles of the Moon and the Sun, predating similar discoveries by thousands of years. Notably, one pillar depicts the Taurid meteor stream, which could be linked to the ancient comet strike.

This ancient calendar, if proven accurate, challenges our understanding of early human knowledge, predating ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus by several centuries.

By Naila Huseynova