Prehistoric people, despite using tools that were primitive by modern standards, had extensive knowledge of astronomy, scientists say, who hypothesized the unexpected use of some stone tombs. The latter, according to British researchers who spoke at the conference of the Royal Astronomical Society in Nottingham, were a kind of telescopes without lenses, used by pastoralists to observe important stars in terms of calendar orientation.
Scientists were prompted to this idea by a tomb of 6 thousand years old, discovered in Portugal. The dark entrance of the stone structure, the researchers noted, makes the stars brighter for the observer. And the tomb itself is located in such a way that from it one can see Aldebaran - a star that was of great importance to the ancient herders.
“When Aldebaran appears above the pre-dawn horizon, it means late spring and early summer. Thus, the ancient pastoralists received a signal that it was time to drive the herds to summer pastures. The star can be seen much better from the tomb, as the stone walls block the first rays of the morning sun and increase the contrast,”the researchers say.
Kolesnikov Andrey
