Göbekli Tepe's ancient carvings could reveal civilization's comet origin

The extraordinary discovery by scientists may shed new light on the beginnings of human civilization. Researchers suggest that a comet impact 13,000 years ago had a tremendous effect on Earth.

According to content published by IFLScience, researchers suggest that a comet impact 13,000 years ago might have contributed to the birth of our civilization. Moreover, evidence of this cataclysm might be found on the famous stone carvings at Göbekli Tepe, now considered the world's oldest solar calendar.

The Göbekli Tepe complex in southern Turkey, estimated to be around 12,000 years old, impresses with its precision and the use of extraordinary "astronomical instruments" by its ancient constructors. Researchers' analysis of a stone pillar brought fascinating conclusions—the marked "V"-shaped symbols may represent days. The calendar contains 12 lunar weeks and 11 additional days.

On the other hand, the summer solstice was represented by a bird-like divine figure, which might symbolize the constellation Virgo, where the sun was located at the time. The study's authors suggest that the analyzed pillar may represent the oldest lunisolar calendar that considers the moon's phases and the sun's movements.

One of the most astonishing findings concerns another pillar, depicting a meteor moving through selected constellations. This could correspond to the hypothesis of a comet's impact on Earth, which prompted a mini-ice age.

However, this hypothesis is controversial and not accepted by some scientists. Nevertheless, the new study's authors suggest that Göbekli Tepe might have been constructed as a monument to this specific event.

Dr. Martin Sweatman, one of the study's authors, believes that sky observation by the inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe resulted from experiencing a catastrophe that might have motivated them to develop new forms of religion and agriculture to survive the climate changes. Scientists elaborated on this idea by suggesting that the fear caused by the disaster might have also inspired social organization and monumental building projects, thus becoming the spark that initiated the development of civilization.

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 civilization 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," explains Dr. Martin Sweatman, author of the paper published in the journal "Time and Mind."