It was a rock carving which depicted an ancient star explosion seen by the Native Americans. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The main goal of the project was to document the full extent of the rock art and other features of the site, many of which haven't been studied for decades or have never been seen before. It was a “guest star,” a supernova, a visitor in the constellation Taurus, visible today with a high-powered telescope as the Crab Nebula. (Image: © John Barentine, Apache Point Observatory). Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time? The Vikings’ next step out into the Atlantic – the discovery and settlement of Iceland – is one of the best documented events of the Viking Age. It was a “guest star,” a supernova, a visitor in the constellation Taurus, visible today with a high-powered telescope as the Crab Nebula. An example of a Cave painting at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona, USA depicting the position of the sun with respect to the facing rock formations at the various solstices. There’s no way to reliably date a work like this. Mount Shasta: Spirits and Danger on a Sacred California Mountain, Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland, 3 Problems to Remember When Trying to Find Atlantis. The first information about petroglyphs in northern Arizona comes from the late 1800s. Researchers says that they developed as a part of the Oshara Tradition (circa 5,440 BC - 460 AD), which grew from the Paleo-Indian Picosa culture. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! New York, In the meantime, the documentation grew to 122 panels of petroglyphs at the Horseshoe Mesa and 107 at Middle Mesa. 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Western Digs reports that the “shadow dagger” bisects a spiral carved onto the cliff wall, while another shadow interacts with a set of eight circles pecked into the panel’s left side.”. We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Thousands of years ago a star exploded in a supernova, leaving behind the glorious riot of colored gas we see now as the Crab Nebula. "Quantitative methods such as carbon-14 dating are alternative means to assign ages to works of prehistoric art, but they lack precision of more than a few decades, so any depiction in art that can be fixed to a specific year is extremely valuable," Barentine said. There was a problem. What if there's no hope of a stimulus deal, but Pelosi and Mnuchin keep talking because they're in love? The site reminded me of Irish monastic sites from the same era: Certainly whoever was hanging around Peñasco Blanco was interested in the sky. A panorama of the Wupatki ruins. Central Asia has been home to various cultures and empires, and many of their materials remains can still be seen. about Burana Tower, Kyrgyzstan’s Ancient and Last Monument to a Lost City, about Grotte de Cussac And The Mystery Of The Cave Bear Nest Burials, about Ancient Settlement Network Found Mapped in Stone in Mexico, about 15,000-Year-Old Paleolithic Rock Art Gallery Identified On Russian Border, about Creators of the 800 Al Jassasiya Rock Carvings Remain Undetected, about 1000s of Neolithic Engravings Reveal Egyptians' Ancient Reverence For Animals, Dozens Of 'New' Ancient Egyptian Coffins Found Near Saqqara, Return of the Ancient Gods: The Resurgence of Paganism, Sea Monsters in the Desert? Ancient rock art in Arizona also appears to illustrate the supernova, as do petrogylphs in Missouri, which show the moon and supernova astride rabbit tracks. The panel is a set of eight circles, each 7 to 9 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) across, arranged in rows of two, three, two, and one. It’s an exciting theory. There really isn’t any elevation change but the four miles to get to the “ Supernova of 1054 ” petroglyph takes you across an open valley bottom of soft sand held in place by rather hard-done-by Four-wing saltbush, sagebrush and cactus. You’ll actually get pretty bored of looking at petroglyphs. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. That carving was found in the White Tanks Regional Park, Phoenix. could be a very old trail, that leads up from Chaco Wash to a mesa where the Peñasco Blanco “great house” sits. Purcell confirmed that it is an imaging calendar, which means a time-tracking feature that uses the play of light and shadow. Dating back 11,000 years - with a coded message left by ancient man from the Mesolithic Age - the Shigir Idol is almost three times as old as the Egyptian pyramids. The Nephilim: Giant Offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Man? The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week! The structure was laid out with some thought to north-south alignment, as most Chaco sites seem to have been. ( CC BY NC 2.0 ). Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. But the Super-Nova / Peñasco Blanco pictograph really stands out, both in vividness and in the drama of its location. ( Log Out /  Ancient Origins © 2013 - 2020Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Source:  CC BY NC 2.0. Although nearly invisible today, the supernova of 1006, or SN 1006, was perhaps the brightest stellar event ever to occur in recorded human history. If confirmed, the rock carving, or "petroglyph" would be the only known record in the Americas of the well-known supernova of the year 1006. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A rock carving discovered in Arizona might depict an ancient star explosion seen by Native Americans a thousand years ago, scientists announced today. We’re still OBSESSED with the sky! That … Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The park service is not shy about identifying this pictoglyph as depicting a super-nova: Note the sign, bottom right. The group of scientists were able to expand the scope of the project and conduct some pilot analysis as well.