World’s Oldest Calendar Discovered
- 11 years ago
A group of archeologists say they’ve found a time tracking structure in Scotland that they dates back to 8,000 BC.
A group of archaeologists say they’ve found a calendar in Scotland that dates back to 8 thousand BC, which is currently believed to be the oldest in existence.
The project leader said of the discovery, “The evidence suggests that hunter gatherer societies in Scotland had both the need and sophistication to track time across the years, to correct for seasonal drift of the lunar year.”
Prior to the discovery, monuments found in Mesopotamia were thought to be man’s first means of marking time.
The Mesolithic time tracking system found in Scotland consists of 12 pits, each formed to resemble the phases of the moon. On the midwinter solstice, the pits’ alignment makes them useful in chronicling the moon’s phases and changing seasons.
The system also employs a means of calibration – a landmark over which the sun would consistently rise on the solstice’s first day. Without this type of failsafe, the calendar would, according to experts, quickly become obsolete.
The size of each component is significant, with the largest pit having diameter of over 7 feet.
The pits align to form an arc, which has a total, combined expanse of 164 feet.
A group of archaeologists say they’ve found a calendar in Scotland that dates back to 8 thousand BC, which is currently believed to be the oldest in existence.
The project leader said of the discovery, “The evidence suggests that hunter gatherer societies in Scotland had both the need and sophistication to track time across the years, to correct for seasonal drift of the lunar year.”
Prior to the discovery, monuments found in Mesopotamia were thought to be man’s first means of marking time.
The Mesolithic time tracking system found in Scotland consists of 12 pits, each formed to resemble the phases of the moon. On the midwinter solstice, the pits’ alignment makes them useful in chronicling the moon’s phases and changing seasons.
The system also employs a means of calibration – a landmark over which the sun would consistently rise on the solstice’s first day. Without this type of failsafe, the calendar would, according to experts, quickly become obsolete.
The size of each component is significant, with the largest pit having diameter of over 7 feet.
The pits align to form an arc, which has a total, combined expanse of 164 feet.