For over 150 years, scientists have been puzzled by a cuneiform clay tablet discovered in the underground library of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, Iraq. This circular stone-cast tablet, dating back to 650 BC, has recently been identified as a sophisticated Sumerian astronomical instrument called an “Astrolabe.”
In 2008, researchers Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell made a groundbreaking discovery. Using modern computer programs, they were able to decipher the tablet’s contents, revealing it to be a night sky observation from June 29, 3123 BC. Half of the tablet recorded typical astronomical data, while the other half described an unusual object in the sky.
The researchers concluded that the tablet recorded the observation of a mᴀssive asteroid, over a kilometer in diameter, on a collision course with Earth. The asteroid’s trajectory matched perfectly with a mysterious impact site in Köfels, Austria.
The low entry angle of the asteroid caused it to explode before impact, creating a fireball about five kilometers in diameter. This explains the absence of a traditional impact crater at Köfels, instead leaving behind a mᴀssive landslide.
The explosion’s back plume would have extended over the Mediterranean Sea, potentially causing widespread devastation in the Levant, Sinai, and Northern Egypt. This ancient disaster likely resulted in more casualties from the heat of the plume than from the initial impact in the Alps.
This remarkable discovery not only sheds light on a catastrophic event from our planet’s past but also provides extraordinary evidence of the sophistication of Sumerian astronomical knowledge. The ability to accurately record such an event over 5,000 years ago is a testament to the advanced scientific capabilities of this ancient civilization.
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