According to a study published in November 2023 in the journal Astronomical Notes, researchers discovered a detailed map of the night sky etched into a circular white stone. The stone was found at an ancient fort in northeastern Italy and is believed to be between 1800 and 400 BC. The map is about the size of a car tire and is one of the oldest celestial maps ever discovered in Italy. 

The study, titled “Possible stellar asterisms carved on a protohistoric stone,” suggests that one of the stones represents the sun, while the other accurately details the constellations in the night sky. The stone has chisel marks all over it, and it’s suggested that these may form markings to represent bright stars in the night sky.

Here’s some information about the ancient celestial map that was recently discovered in Italy. 

The map was unearthed at an archaeological site in Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo, which is located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. The site is believed to have been inhabited by a group of people known as the Proto-Venetians, who lived in the area from around 1600 to 1200 BC. 

The map is etched into a circular white stone that measures about 60 centimeters in diameter. The map depicts the night sky as it would have appeared from the site around 2,400 years ago. It shows the positions of over 50 stars and constellations, including Orion, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Major. 

The map is a significant discovery because it is one of the oldest known celestial maps in the world. It is also one of the most detailed, as it shows the positions of so many stars and constellations. The map provides valuable insights into the astronomical knowledge of the Proto-Venetians and their understanding of the universe. 

Researchers are still studying the map, and they are hoping to learn more about the Proto-Venetians and their culture. They are also hoping to find other celestial maps that may have been created by the Proto-Venetians or other ancient cultures.

According to the study, titled “Possible stellar asterisms carved on a protohistoric stone,” two circular white stones were found at an ancient fort in northeastern Italy. One of the stones seemingly represented the sun, while the other accurately detailed the constellations in the night sky

The study, titled “Possible stellar asterisms carved on a protohistoric stone,” was published in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten in 2023. The study’s authors, Paolo Molaro and Federico Bernardini, analyzed 29 chisel marks found on a stone at an ancient fort in northeastern Italy. The authors suggested that the marks may represent popular stellar asterisms, such as Orion, Scorpius, and Pleiades. 

The stone, which measures about the size of a car tire, was found at the Rupinpiccolo protohistoric hill fort. The fort dates back to the transition period between prehistory and the earliest recorded history. The stone was found in a well-preserved condition, with the chisel marks still clearly visible. 

The authors used statistical analysis to compare the chisel marks to known astronomical asterisms. They found that the marks closely matched the patterns of several popular asterisms. The authors concluded that the stone is likely a protohistoric map of the night sky. 

The discovery of the stone is significant because it provides evidence that early humans had a sophisticated understanding of astronomy. The stone is also significant because it is one of the oldest known examples of a celestial map.

Ancient people observed the night sky for many reasons, including: 

• Tracking time Monitoring the movements of stars and planets in the sky helped people track time, which was important for agriculture, religious rituals, and navigation. 
• Predicting the future Some ancient civilizations believed that observing the movement of the planets could help predict the future and determine the course of an individual’s life. 
• Religious significance Many cultures believed that the positions of the stars were their God’s way of telling stories. 
• Inspiration for stories Star patterns in the sky provided inspiration for stories, which was the most common form of entertainment in earlier times. 
• Using the sky as a calendar People noticed a correlation between the stars in the sky and different times of the year, like changing seasons. 
• Guiding travel Ancient sailors used stars and constellations to guide their travels.

People have used patterns of stars in the night sky for many purposes, including: 

• Recognizing stars: Constellations can help people identify stars and their locations. 
• Creating mythology: People have linked patterns of stars to create mythologies to understand the universe. 
• Telling stories: People have created stories about the gods and heroes they see in the stars. 
• Guiding travel: Sailors have used constellations to determine their direction. 

The patterns of stars in the sky are called constellations. However, a more accurate term for a group of stars that forms a pattern is asterism. Astronomers use the term constellation to refer to an area of the sky. 

Different civilizations around the world have created their own patterns in the sky to reflect local myths and legends. The constellations that we recognize today are believed to have originated in Mesopotamia around 3200 BC

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