THE ENGRAVED BONE FROM CUINA TURCULUI: AN ANCIENT LUNAR CALENDAR FROM THE DANUBE GORGES
Discovered in the Iron Gates region of Romania, the engraved bone from Cuina Turcului (Dubova) stands as one of the most remarkable archaeological finds from Mesolithic Europe. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the early human understanding of time, geometry, and symbolism.
Discovery Context and Dating
The piece was uncovered between 1964 and 1969 during rescue archaeological excavations led by C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor and Vasile Boroneanț at the Cuina Turcului rock shelter in Mehedinți County. These excavations took place just before the area was submerged by the creation of the Iron Gates I dam reservoir.
The archaeological layer belongs to the Romanello-Azilian culture (Early Mesolithic) and has been radiocarbon dated to between 12,600 and 10,500 BC, making the object approximately 12,000 to 14,000 years old.
Anatomy and Decoration of the Object
The physical medium is a phalanx bone from a wild horse (Equus caballus).
The bone was finely polished and covered across almost its entire surface with very delicate geometric incisions made using a flint tool.
The decorative motifs feature parallel lines, nested rhombuses, and a symmetrical zigzag or fir-tree pattern.
An astronomical Calendar
Archaeologists and paleoastronomers have analyzed the arrangement of the incisions:
Rhythmic Counting: The parallel lines are not carved at random. Instead, they are organized into distinct groups of 7, 14, and 28 to 29 incisions.
The Lunar Cycle: This grouping corresponds directly with the phases of the moon: 7 days for a quarter phase, 14 days for a half cycle, and 28 to 29 days for a complete visible lunar month.
Alternative Hypotheses: Beyond serving as an early calendar to track seasonal cycles—crucial for planning early agricultural activities and crop planting—some researchers suggest the piece may have functioned as a ritual object, a prestigious amulet, or a community tracking tool for animal gestation periods and natural harvests.
The original bone is preserved in the collection of the Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest. It remains clear proof that over 12,000 years ago, the inhabitants of the Danube Gorges had already developed abstract thinking and a structured method for measuring time.
THE ENGRAVED BONE FROM CUINA TURCULUI: AN ANCIENT LUNAR CALENDAR FROM THE DANUBE GORGES
