What the world's first observatory, which is 12,000 years old, looks like
Source:The oldest temple in the world could have another purpose
The northern hemisphere of the Earth was covered with huge glaciers when a group of hunter-gatherers in southern Turkey began construction of a structure known as the world's first temple. The site, called Gobekli Tepe,was built about 12,000 years ago,and some parts of it are considered by scientists to be even older. This ancient temple was so extensive and complex that archaeologists have been busy excavating since its discovery in 1994. The research found strange images of animals, tall stone pillars and the earliest known evidence of religious rituals. But despite all these years of work, scientists can not yet answer one question: who built it and why?
The world's first observatory
The appearance and age of Gobekli-Tepe for decades captured the imagination of archaeologists. They were written in the press and made documentaries, built countless conspiracy theories, from aliens to statements about ancient, technologically advanced civilizations. Some scientists, not affiliated with the main excavation team, suggest that Gobekli-Tepe was actually an astronomical observatory.
There is at least two evidence that this temple was used to study the sky. First, it was perfectly constructed in terms of observing celestial bodies, with its domed shape and flat surface. Most likely, the observatory was mainly used to observe the star Sirius, because the locals worshipped it, as well as other cultures in the region thousands of years later.
In addition, some carved images in Gobekli Tepe depict the impact of a comet that struck Earth at the end of the Ice Age.
So far, scientists can't definitively answer this question. For more than 25 years, researchers have struggled to install temple columns on their original site, but the original layout of this stunning building remains a matter of debate. This deprives archaeologists of the opportunity to know for sure whether Gobekli-Tepe had any astronomical significance.
An aerial view of Gobekli-Tepe shows its vast expanses. All this was created by human hands more than 10,000 years ago.
What is Gobekli-Tepe?
This amazing place is located in the center of the Fertile Crescent, a region of the Middle East historically considered the birthplace of agriculture and writing. Nevertheless, Gobekli-Tepe was built before people in the region started farming.
At first glance, Gobekli-Tepe looks like a normal hill. It was first explored in the 1960s, when several meagre stone structures were discovered on top of the hill, but then rolled up because they thought there was nothing there. In 1994, when Klaus Schmidt of the German Archaeological Institute was finishing excavations in a nearby settlement, he decided to re-explore the top of Theobekli Tepe hill.
In the following years, the staggering scale of its discovery became evident. The whole hill was built by people. All this dirt hides dozens of buildings scattered around the territory of about 500 meters wide.
Most of the pillars of the structure are decorated with decorative carvings with images of animals such as snakes, foxes, wild boars, birds and other creatures. People believed that all living beings had spirits, and worshipped them.
Was Gobekli-Tepe an observatory?
But why did people need to use such a structure as an astronomical observatory at that time? Shortly before its construction, the era of the late drias, the final stage of the last glaciation, began. The cause of its origin has not yet been known, but several finds of scientists suggest that the global drop in temperature could begin after the fall of the huge comet.
The same drawings that scientists have linked to the fall of the comet
In 2017, archaeologists said they had found a column depicting a variety of animals - scientists have suggested that the drawings and their location correspond to astronomical constellations. According to the opinion, the so-called Vulture Stone, carved on a pillar in Gobekli Tepa, is the "mark of the date" of the catastrophic impact of the comet 13,000 years ago.
it is probably the worst day in history since the end of the Ice Age.Gobekli-Tepe appears to have been, among other things, an observatory to observe the night sky," says Martin Sweetman,a chemical engineer at the University of Edinburgh and lead author of the study. "One of his pillars served as a monument to this destructive
While there is still no conclusive evidence that Gobekli-Tepe was built as an astronomical object, that doesn't mean it wasn't. Archaeologists believe that evidence of the temple's alleged connection with the stars is still buried right under the sand. And they'll find it.
Recommended
Can genes create the perfect diet for you?
Diet on genotype can be a way out for many, but it still has a lot of questions Don't know what to do to lose weight? DNA tests promise to help you with this. They will be able to develop the most individual diet, because for this they will use the m...
How many extraterrestrial civilizations can exist nearby?
If aliens exist, why don't we "hear" them? In the 12th episode of Cosmos, which aired on December 14, 1980, co-author and host Carl Sagan introduced viewers to the same equation of astronomer Frank Drake. Using it, he calculated the potential number ...
Why does the most poisonous plant in the world cause severe pain?
The pain caused to humans by the Gimpi-gympie plant can drive him crazy Many people consider Australia a very dangerous place full of poisonous creatures. And this is a perfectly correct idea, because this continent literally wants to kill everyone w...
Related News
Did you know? We have four more feelings that we don't know about.
We don't even know that there are at least nine senses in our body. Vision, smell, hearing, touch and taste. These are the generally accepted five feelings that most people have. Without them, we would have no music, no painting, ...
Can melatonin help treat coronavirus?
Some doctors believe that sleep hormone helps with coronavirus It appears that in the list of potential treatments COVID-19, which the researchers proposed for several months of the pandemic, another replenishment: melatonin. A do...
Which countries do the most active people live in?
In which countries do people walk and play sports more? Let's find out. Physical activity, along with proper nutrition, is considered one of the main factors of a healthy lifestyle. Numerous scientific studies have found that regu...
What is the "love hormone" and who lacks it?
Oxytocin - love hormone The human body produces a huge variety of hormones, each of which performs its task. For example, many well-known endorphins bring people a sense of joy, and excess cortisol signals the stressful state of a...
How does space affect human vision and movements?
In zero gravity, the human body begins to change The brain, like the heart, is one of the main organs of the human body. It consists of many areas, each of which has specific tasks. Take, for example, the cerebellum - this small a...
What determines the size of raindrops?
Why the rain drops are not the same? Scientists already know the answer Once in the rain and hiding in a secluded place, you probably noticed that the raindrops are very different in size. Generally, the cloud drops have the same ...
Physicists believe that our civilization will fall for decades. But why?
If you do not stop the deforestation, our civilization will fall over the 40 years In the midst of global health crisis, we all need good news. But the reality is that news today is more alarming and cannot be ignored. Even some 3...
Some ancient animals were afraid even dinosaurs?
reconstruction of the skeleton of deinosuchus (Deinosuchus) it's hard To believe but I think the most dangerous and ruthless of animals on our planet are crocodiles. Judge for yourself — if the person or an animal will be nearby, ...
What happens to a person after eating?
Sometimes a person can afford to eat too much pizza without injury. During the holiday feasts, most of us can't resist the abundance of food. A bowl of soup, a couple tablespoons of salad, tea with a few pieces of cake and so we a...
Than a summer thunderstorm harmful?
During thunderstorms, people feel bad, but why? In 2010, researchers from Harvard medical school, began to suspect that, in stormy days people are more likely to seek medical help. And no, it's absolutely not that they are so afra...
We are close to making babies from stem cells. Than it threatens?
by using bone marrow humanity was on the verge of reproductive evolution In 2007, a group of researchers announced a startling discovery: they created such sperm cells from stem cells, obtained from the bone marrow of a person. Ho...
Russian vaccine against coronavirus: everything you need to know
Russia became the first country to create a vaccine against coronavirus for people the Issue of creating a vaccine against the coronavirus appeared almost immediately after COVID-19 outside of China, and millions of people realize...
The future of the planet depends on how much time children spend in nature
the Future of the planet — in the hands of the younger generation. Today our planet is experiencing not the best times. Its surface overflowing with garbage, the air temperature is constantly increasing, glaciers are melting and t...
What is the impact crater and which one is the largest in the Solar system?
Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar system Probably in the entire Universe there is no planet or satellite with a perfectly smooth surface. And all because in space objects of constant flow of complex processes that can affe...
When people began to use poison arrows for hunting?
Poisonous arrows used by African tribes still Thousands of years ago our ancestors was due to hunting animals. First, they had to attack the game from close range but about 48 thousand years ago, they invented archery. As a tip fo...
Where now living descendants of dinosaurs and that they can give scientists
Can now live those who lived hundreds of millions of years ago? Dinosaurs ruled our planet millions of years ago, but now remained only in the form of sets of bones that are in museums. Not long ago, New Zealand researchers have d...
Who the "hell of the ants" and why they look so strange?
This is the head of an ant. But not hellish, and the ordinary To date, scientists know of the existence of about 15,000 species of ants. Given that most of us saw with my own eyes a maximum of 3-4 of them, this fact for some peopl...
What happens to the brain when the death of a loved one?
it's not just the emotions. Emotional upheaval can change the brain throughout his life a person experiences many emotions associated with what is happening around. It can be as joyful moments and negative, which, as a rule, peopl...
Why young people and adults in different ways you feel lonely?
For the elderly is important to maintain communication with family the Feeling of loneliness from time to time experienced by all people without exception, regardless of gender, age, social status and other factors. And this feeli...
Museum of antiquity: what can you find at the bottom of lake Titicaca?
Such items can be found at the bottom of lake Titicaca. But what is it? the entire history of mankind on our planet lived a lot of different civilizations. Representatives of each of them had his own vision of the origin of the Ea...
Comments (0)
This article has no comment, be the first!