World’s Oldest Calendar Discovered in Turkey

Archaeologists have discovered carvings chiseled into a large stone pillar nearly 13,000 years ago at Göbekli Tepe in southern Turkey, believing it is possibly the world’s oldest sun-and-moon calendar, LiveScience reported recently. The discovery involves engravings with 365 “V-shaped” symbols, which researchers from the University of Edinburgh believe represent individual days, forming a calendar of 12 lunar months plus 11 additional days.

In addition to these symbols, researchers analyzed an engraving of a “bird-like” figure adorned with a “V” shape around its neck, suggesting it may represent the summer solstice of that era.

Experts believe these newly discovered engravings indicate that the ancient inhabitants of the region were capable of recording their observations of the sun, moon, and constellations in the form of a solar calendar. This significant find sheds light on the sophisticated understanding of timekeeping among early civilizations.