Posted on 08/17/2013 4:28:29 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The 11,000-year-old site consists of a series of at least 20 circular enclosures, although only a few have been uncovered since excavations began in the mid-1990s. Each one is surrounded by a ring of huge, T-shaped stone pillars, some of which are decorated with carvings of fierce animals. Two more megaliths stand parallel to each other at the centre of each ring.
Gobekli Tepe Constellations
Frontiers of Anthropology | 7-16-2013
Posted on 08/04/2013 6:12:23 PM PDT by Renfield
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3051119/posts
Siriusly?
I am amazed at what astute astronomers some ancient people were.
When my husband and I visited the Mayan ruins of Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula a few years ago, we learned that the whole village of Tulum was built to be a calendar (as well as to fulfill a few other functions).
With our modern instruments, we no longer need to build to highlight celestial features. We may have lost some creativity as a result.
How noticeable would it have been when it first came into view? It would have barely cleared the horizon before setting a few degrees away. An interesting coincidence has been noted and seized upon, I think.
Sirius is Hugh.
My urban friends are always amazed by by what I know about the night sky and the universe. What I know is just the basics. I am not even an “amateur” astronomer as most of those are defined. But I DO go outside at night and look around. I DO get up before dawn and note interesting things in the sky, the stars and the position of the moon and sun on the horizon. Planet movements are very obvious.
This stuff isn’t truly that hard. Aliens and geniuses are not required. This is why we see these sorts of temples, sky calendars and sun markers spread through many ancient peoples all over the planet. It’s neat and impressive nonetheless.
Thanks for this post.
Oldplayer
I guess if you think stars control an individual's destiny, there would be a clientele for this type of information, but it seems to me, it takes so many years of careful study to figure out the various cycles that can be observed. Precession of the equinoxes, for example, takes 26,000 years to complete a single cycle - how did they figure that out without direct observation over hundreds or thousands of years? If you understand the mechanics of planetary motion I could see how one could predict that the constellation of Leo will rise at the vernal equinox at such-and-such a time, but how do you make that prediction if you don't (and these ancient people supposedly didn't) unless you have thousands of years of observation to refer to?
Interesting!
The monoliths at Gobekli Tepe are some 12,000+ years old. The relief carvings are so well done, it makes one stop and think just what tools were those ancients using. Was this a remnant of some anti-deluvian culture?
Atop one Minerett on a typical Mosque you’ll see the crescent moon & a star. Symbol for allah & his daughters honored?
anti-deluvians? They were opposed to the flood? (Just funnin’ with ya. Of course, you meant ante-deluvians.)
No TV.
We specialized, and lost track of the world around us as a result. We wait for someone else to tell us it is going to rain, instead of check the sky, the flies, tree leaves turning over, or the way smoke rolls downwind. Most (first world) people don't pay any attention at all now. The ancients had to--their lives and livelihoods depended on it.
No, it was very noticeable because it was part of a constellation. This has been written about in an excellent book, “Hamlet’s Mill”.
They did have thousands of years of observation, and the information was vital to daily life. I recommend the book “Hamlet’s Mill”. The ancients knew more than we can even imagine.
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