Southern Türkiye’s ancient monument may hold first solar calendar

A groundbreaking discovery in southern Türkiye is challenging long-held beliefs about the origins of timekeeping. 

New research suggests that a 12,000-year-old site at Göbekli Tepe, Türkiye may contain the world’s earliest known solar calendar, revealing that ancient humans had a sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles far earlier than previously thought. This finding not only reshapes our view of early astronomy but also offers fresh insights into the dawn of human civilization, Caliber.Az reports via Daily Galaxy.

Located near the city of Şanlıurfa, Göbekli Tepe is famed for its massive T-shaped stone pillars and now draws new attention for evidence of an advanced calendar system far older than previously known. A University of Edinburgh team, led by Martin Sweatman, analyzed intricate carvings on the site’s pillars and found “V”-shaped marks they interpret as individual days. One pillar appears to contain exactly 365 of these marks, matching the length of a solar year, indicating that its creators had a sophisticated understanding of solar cycles long before writing or agriculture.

The carvings also align with key celestial events, including the summer solstice. Sweatman points out that a “V” symbol around a bird-like figure’s neck corresponds to a constellation tied to the solstice, suggesting the builders closely observed the sky.

This astronomical knowledge may have been influenced by a catastrophic comet impact around 10,850 BC, which likely triggered a mini ice age and drastically changed Earth’s climate. Sweatman notes, “It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky,” and the comet event might have sparked new religious beliefs and early agricultural efforts to cope with harsher conditions.

Further findings suggest the carvings also depict star movements and meteor streams, including the Taurid meteor stream linked to the comet. This challenges the previous assumption that such knowledge only emerged thousands of years later with Greek astronomers like Hipparchus.

Situated in the Fertile Crescent, Göbekli Tepe’s symbolic art and social significance hint at early steps toward writing and complex society. Researchers believe the site marks a turning point when humans began intertwining timekeeping with spirituality and community, laying the foundations for civilizations to come.

By Naila Huseynova