March
10
/ 2020
Before the Taqba Dam impounded the Euphrates River in northern Syria in the 1970s, an archaeological site named Abu Hureyra bore witness to the moment ancient nomadic people first settled down and started cultivating crops. A large mound marks the settlement, which now lies under Lake Assad. New research suggests a cosmic impact likely destroyed their community. Signs of Cosmic Impact Before the lake formed, archaeologists were able to carefully extract and describe much material, including parts of houses, food and tools - an abundance of evidence that allowed them to identify the transition to agriculture nearly 12,800 years ago. It was one of the most significant events in our Earth's cultural and environmental history. Abu Hureyra, it turns out
