Clay tablet sheds new light on ancient asteroid "impact" in Köfels, Austria

This interesting article has just been brought to my attention, and I think it's worth posting here.

A cuneiform clay tablet that has puzzled scholars for over 150 years has been translated for the first time. The tablet is now known to be a contemporary Sumerian observation of an asteroid impact at Köfels, Austria and is published in a new book, 'A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels' Impact Event.'

The giant landslide centred at Köfels in Austria is 500m thick and five kilometres in diameter and has long been a mystery since geologists first looked at it in the 19th century. The conclusion drawn by research in the middle 20th century was that it must be due to a very large meteor impact because of the evidence of crushing pressures and explosions. But this view lost favour as a much better understanding of impact sites developed in the late 20th century.

Source

What is interesting about this event, is not only that the Sumerians (who are well known as astute astronomers) recorded the even in such detail that the trajectory of the object was accurate to within one degree, but also that the effects of this "impact" were so unusual.

There was no crater formed as such due to the low incoming angle, but the event caused a massive landslide when the object clipped a mountain and exploded. It may also have led to things on the ground being burnt by the huge fireball created as the object flew through the atmosphere. As far as I'm aware, there is no evidence for any event like it, apart from Tunguska which bears some similarities.

What is also interesting is that both this event and Tunguska occurred at almost the same time of year (29 June Vs 17 June (Julian calendar)), which may indicate that these events are connected. Those of you that have read my previous posts may remember my previous references to the Taurid meteor stream which Earth encounters at this very time of year. I personally think that if we are going to get hit by a large object, the evidence from recent history indicates that it may well be a Taurid.

Related links: www.newarkcampus.org...

nice post , thanks for posting.

i have always had a sneaking suspicion that the two are linked.

thanks

snoopyuk

ummmm, the julian calender was invented in 45bc. the sumerians lived around 3000 years earlier and therefore could not possibly have written down any date from the julian calendar.

also, austria is a more modern country, not coming into existence till the 9th century so i doubt the sumarians could have said anything happened in austria then as it never existed in there days and they probably never travelled there either.

me suspects that another date (ie todays) might have more to do with the story

Originally posted by justyc
ummmm, the julian calender was invented in 45bc. the sumerians lived around 3000 years earlier and therefore could not possibly have written down any date from the julian calendar.

I think the date was extrapolated from the star chart on the tablet.

Originally posted by justyc
also, austria is a more modern country, not coming into existence till the 9th century so i doubt the sumarians could have said anything happened in austria then as it never existed in there days and they probably never travelled there either.

Yes - they could not have seen the impact themselves, but they did chart the trajectory of the object seen in the sky in the days before it impacted - it must have been bright and very eye catching. Obviously, where it hit was not known as Austria back then, but it is in the area we know today as Austria.

Edit to add: Re today's date - the article was actually posted yesterday, so it's not a joke!

[edit on 1-4-2008 by C.H.U.D.]

a tale of two cities.....

this article mentions the same tablet yet doesn't agree with the findings of the first. doesn't sound like the experts do either. only a time machine will decide who is right for sure

"As far as I'm aware, there is no evidence for any event like it, apart from Tunguska which bears some similarities. " - your quote.

At Sandpoint, Idaho, on the southern shore of Lake Pend Oreille, at Echo Bay between Bernard Point and Graham Point there is what appears to be evidence of a large mountain landslide. From shoreline to top of mountain the depth of the slide is about 1000 m and from west to east the slide covers 5.3 km. You can look it up on online aerial maps. There is another slide in the northeast area of the lake about 15 km across beginning at Echo Rock and going eastward.

As mountains go, landslides are not uncommon, but I think Lake Pend Oreille is worth a look. The sizes of the slides are nothing to sneeze at.

I noticed the slide very recently while map surfing.

reply to post by takingnote


Nice find takingnote, but without analysis it would be difficult to tell for sure if what you found is related to an old impact. Perhaps you could contact the researchers that published the paper, and let them know about your find? You might just get lucky

reply to post by C.H.U.D.


I contacted one of the researchers. Thank you. Time will tell as to whether this was worthwhile. I noticed too that both are on Latitude 47 and included that information.