Science

eppur_se_muova

(36,299 posts) Mon Jul 15, 2013, 04:23 PM Jul 2013

'World's oldest calendar' discovered in Scottish field (BBC)

Archaeologists believe they have discovered the world's oldest lunar "calendar" in an Aberdeenshire field.

Excavations of a field at Crathes Castle found a series of 12 pits which appear to mimic the phases of the moon and track lunar months.

A team led by the University of Birmingham suggests the ancient monument was created by hunter-gatherers about 10,000 years ago.

The pit alignment, at Warren Field, was first excavated in 2004.

The experts who analysed the pits said they may have contained a wooden post.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23286928

Hmmmm ... I dunno ....

4 replies

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'World's oldest calendar' discovered in Scottish field (BBC) (Original Post) eppur_se_muova Jul 2013 OP

Even hunter/gatherers needed to know what time of year it was Warpy Jul 2013 #1

They think it was a combination of lunar-solar calendar being recalibrated each year at ... Jim__ Jul 2013 #4

Fools!......it's an early Golf Course. Nt pkdu Jul 2013 #2

The wooden posts were carved with swimsuit models. Thor_MN Jul 2013 #3

Warpy

(111,367 posts)

1. Even hunter/gatherers needed to know what time of year it was

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Mon Jul 15, 2013, 04:32 PM

Jul 2013

since animal migrations are tied to it rather than to weather patterns. They were likely to be using extremely primitive agriculture, too.

There should have been 13 pits, however, since that's how many lunar months there are in a given year. A base 12 system might have been more of a solar observatory, more accurate than tracking lunar months.

Jim__

(14,088 posts)

4. They think it was a combination of lunar-solar calendar being recalibrated each year at ...

Reply to Warpy (Reply #1)

Tue Jul 16, 2013, 04:45 PM

Jul 2013

... sunrise on winter solstice.

There is an article and a slightly different video from the one in the OP at phys.org that talks a little bit more about it.

pkdu

(3,977 posts)

2. Fools!......it's an early Golf Course. Nt

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Mon Jul 15, 2013, 04:51 PM

Jul 2013

Thor_MN

(11,843 posts)

3. The wooden posts were carved with swimsuit models.

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Original post)

Mon Jul 15, 2013, 07:19 PM

Jul 2013

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