Göbekli Tepe, a massive archaeological site nestled in the rolling plains of southeastern Turkey, is considered the world’s oldest known temple complex, predating Stonehenge by approximately 6,000 years. The site was erected around 9600 BCE by mysterious hunter-gatherers in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic.
Among the most striking features of the site are its massive stone pillars arranged in circular formations. Some reach up to 16 feet in height and weigh up to 20 tons. Richly decorated with carvings of animals, abstract symbols, and humanoid figures, the pillars may have complex symbolic or religious significance. The artistry and engineering skills required to construct Göbekli Tepe imply a level of social organization and technological ability previously not thought to have been possible for hunter-gatherer societies.
Now, a new study shows these communities were even more sophisticated than meets the eye. According to a team led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, the markings on the 12,000-year-old stone pillars likely represent the world’s oldest solar calendar. They suspect it was a memorial to a devastating comet strike that triggered a key shift in human civilization.
The study suggests that ancient people used these carvings to document their observations of the sun, moon, and constellations. This solar calendar, they propose, was for tracking time and marking seasonal changes.
Decoding the Symbols at Göbekli Tepe
A fresh analysis of V-shaped symbols carved onto the site’s pillars reveals that each V might represent one day. This insight then led researchers to identify a 365-day solar calendar on one pillar, which includes 12 lunar months and an additional 11 days.
A special day, the summer solstice, is represented by a V worn around the neck of a bird-like figure, thought to symbolize the summer solstice constellation of that era. Nearby statues, possibly representing deities, also display similar V-markings on their necks.
These carvings, depicting both the sun and moon’s cycles, could be the world’s earliest lunisolar calendar. It would predate all other known examples by thousands of years.
“It appears the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected given their world had been devastated by a comet strike. This event might have triggered civilisation by initiating a new religion and by motivating developments in agriculture to cope with the cold climate. Possibly, their attempts to record what they saw are the first steps towards the development of writing millennia later,” said Martin Sweatman, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, who led the research.
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The study extends previous interpretations of Göbekli Tepe’s carvings, associating various animal symbols with constellations. But this symbolism is not isolated. Nearby, the Karahan Tepe also features structures and carvings that align with the same lunisolar calendar system. This continuity suggests a shared cultural and astronomical knowledge base among these early Neolithic communities.
Marking A Devastating Comet Impact
Researchers suggest that the carvings at Göbekli Tepe marked the date of a comet fragment swarm hitting Earth nearly 13,000 years ago, around 10,850 BCE. Layers of sediment from various parts of the world dated to that time contain high levels of iridium, platinum, and other rare elements typically associated with extraterrestrial objects.
Furthermore, small spherical particles and nanodiamonds found in the sediment layers indicate high-temperature impacts, consistent with a comet or asteroid strike. Additionally, thick layers of micro-charcoal found in locations like Lakes Akgol and Van in Turkey suggest widespread biomass burning, including wildfires, which would have been a result of a significant impact event.
Researchers believe that this comet strike triggered a mini-ice age known as the Younger Dryas, which lasted over 1,200 years. This impact led to the extinction of many large animal species and caused massive fires. As a result, soot and other particles spread into the atmosphere, likely blocking sunlight. Rapid cooling would have followed due to the “nuclear winter” effect. This event may also have driven changes in human lifestyle and agriculture. In fact, it could link to the birth of civilization in the fertile crescent of West Asia.
Another pillar at the site appears to depict the Taurid meteor stream, the likely source of the comet fragments. This carving shows the stream lasting 27 days, emanating from the directions of Aquarius and Pisces.
A Legacy Carved in Stone
These ancient carvings suggest that people at Göbekli Tepe could record dates using precession — the slow wobble of Earth’s axis affecting constellation movements — at least 10,000 years before it was documented by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus in 150 BC.
These findings also now place Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe in a broader context of early human innovation and adaptation. The ability to track and predict lunar and solar cycles would have been crucial for agricultural planning and religious rituals.
The carvings held importance to the people of Göbekli Tepe over millennia, suggesting this impact event sparked a new religion or cult. It seems that then, as now, astronomical events could significantly influence the development of civilization.
The research appeared in the journal Time and Mind.