Russian meteorite Bronze Age (rock record)

TL;DR

This study analyzes Bronze Age petroglyphs near Skelnovsky in Russia, interpreting them as depicting a meteorite fall and shower, supported by archaeoastronomical methods, satellite imagery, and ethnographic comparisons.

Contribution

It provides a novel interpretation of Bronze Age petroglyphs as depicting a meteorite event, linking rock art with archaeoastronomical analysis and modern satellite data.

Findings

Petroglyphs depict a meteoroid fall similar to Sikhote-Alin meteorite

Location of meteorite fall was identified using topographical projection

Petroglyphs include a figure analogous to Mesopotamian clay tablet YBC 7289

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study of petroglyphs found in the quartzite grotto near the Skelnovsky small village in the Northern Black Sea in the South of Russia. The aim of the study was the analysis and interpretation of the Early Bronze Age petroglyphs using archaeoastronomical methods. The article presents a comparative analysis of Skelnovsky grotto ancient images and contemporary eyewitness accounts of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall and meteorite shower. Some petroglyphs were interpreted by us using ethnographic and folklore material. In this study, the magnetic declination for the geographical coordinates Skelnovsky farm was calculated, and the projection of the whole picture Skelnovskih petroglyphs on the topographical map of the area was built. The proposed location of the meteorite fall was determined with this projection. It is confirmed by satellite pictures, on which are the distinguishable terrain features, typical for the meteorite fall, are visible including the possible impact crater, and the corresponding symbols on a topographical map. The studies in the article conclude the astronomical character of the main content of the Skelnovsky petroglyphs picture which depicts the fall of a large meteoroid (bolide), similar to the Sikhote-Alin meteorite, accompanied by a meteorite shower. After a comparative analysis of the images in Sklenovsky Grotto it was discovered that the petroglyph is a copy of the figure depicted on the famous Mesopotamic clay tablet YBC 7289. We speculate that this figure is a prototype of an important building used either for ritual or farm purposes, typical for the Bronze Age and distributed as in Mesopotamia, as also on the coast of the Northern Black Sea. archaeoastronomy, petroglyphs, rock art, meteoroid, meteorite shower, impact crater, Babylonian clay tablet YBC 7289