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Newly discovered ancient tablets depict a massive comet slammed into earth around 10,000 BC, giving rise to civilization in its aftermath.
We’ve all seen what happens in the movies
You can be forgiven for wondering why a catastrophic event like a comet strike didn’t wreak more damage on Earth, perhaps wiping us off the planet instead of triggering changes that made us take it over.
After all, we’ve all seen what happens in the movies. But this comet strike was not like the movies. Today’s life on Earth owes a debt of gratitude to the massive comet from 11,000 BC.
Researchers recently determined carvings in stone pillars found in Turkey depict a comet falling from the sky, wiping out large predators and giving space for human civilizations to arise.
Our story begins in southern Turkey
The researchers, at the University of Edinburgh, believe the carvings support the theory that the comet’s impact created a mini-ice age, sending debris into the atmosphere. The epoch, known as the “Younger Dryas,” is when humans first started experimenting with agriculture.
With farming came villages, towns and, after a few millennia, Walmart. Thanks, comet! Our story begins in southern Turkey, at a site that may be the world’s first temple. At least, it’s the oldest one we’ve found, and we only just found it recently.
