What year does a century begin? Georgian writing is older than the 10th century BC

Archaeologists of Georgia in 2015 discovered an inscription on the altar during excavations on Mount Grakliani, near the village of Igoeti, 40 kilometers from Tbilisi. At first, the age of the inscription was presumably estimated as 7-8 centuries BC.

Now the date is set as accurately as possible. A laboratory in the USA confirmed that the inscription was made in the late 11th and early 10th century BC.

“We took three samples from here, they were sent to the Miami Beta Lab. And the other day we received a completely sensational answer - that this inscription was made either at the end of the 11th century or in the 10th century BC, ”Professor Vakhtang Licheli, head of the Tbilisi State University archaeological expedition, told reporters.
According to him, this means that writing actually appeared on the territory of Georgia three thousand years ago. “We used to think that this happened 1,500 years ago, but now these data have changed and are scientifically confirmed,” the expedition leader said. According to him, the inscription has not yet been deciphered, but scientists suggest that since it was made on the pedestal of the altar, it is related to religion. The meaning of such messages at that time was owned only by priests.
Archaeological excavations in Grakliani also confirm that there was not a spontaneous settlement here, but an organized society where traditions were observed and aesthetic things were created.
Excavations on Grakliani have been underway since 2007, and many unique finds have been made during this period. Among them are seals made in the 4th century BC. e. in southern Mesopotamia. According to Licheli, these are the only such exhibits found in the Caucasus region, they were used to certify legal documents.
The settlements found in Grakliani are laid out on terraces. The houses were of the same type, and climatic conditions were taken into account during their construction - all buildings were oriented to the south, and in winter the sunlight freely penetrated into the houses.
“When Alexander the Great conquered Babylon, he sent an army here to annex the Caucasus. This settlement became a victim of this process. This is evidenced by numerous ceramic dishes that were found in an already abandoned place,” says Prof. Liceli.
The participants of the excavations are students from Georgia, Europe and the USA, they told journalists that in the pagan temple discovered in Grakliani 2500 years ago they extolled the gods of fire and fertility.
According to them, the settlement discovered in Grakliani is an example of a civilization at the turn of the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age. Fine pottery was produced here. The inhabitants of Grakliani had their own faith and developed culture. If we take into account the latest data, it turns out that it was they who were the first to create writing in the Caucasus.

Information about the archaeological site of Gracliani appears in the leading scientific publications in France, Holland, Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Spain.

One of the two temple complexes discovered in Grakliani dates back to the reign of the first king of Iberia (Eastern Georgia) - King Parnavaz (331-239 BC).

The new discovery also completely changes our understanding of historical events in the world. Previously, it was believed that the Caucasus was distanced from the processes of destruction of Ancient Greece and the Hittite empire in the Middle East that were taking place at that time in the world, the expedition participants note.

Until recently, archaeologists attributed the appearance of writing in Georgia to the 4th-5th centuries AD. Although there were suggestions that writing could have been developed on the territory of Georgia in pre-Christian times.

Amphora, "gadra" style, IV-III centuries BC (Theodosian Museum of Antiquities)

The city of Miletus, located on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor (this area was called Ionia) and inhabited by Greek-Ionians (one of the groups of Hellenic tribes), showed the greatest activity in the development of the north Black Sea coasts. It developed very intensively, here, faster than in other emerging policies, the internal prerequisites for colonization matured, in addition, from the middle of the 7th century BC, the Greek cities of Asia Minor suffered from the aggression of the eastern states - Lydia, Media, and in the 6th century BC AD - Persia.

The first half - the middle of the 6th century BC - the time of the most active settlement of the inhabitants of Ionia outside their homeland. The Greek writer Arrian called Theodosius "an ancient Hellenic city, Ionian, a colony of the Milesians." Fragments of black-figure ceramics and terracotta figurines from Hellas, made no earlier than the second half of the 6th century BC, were found in Feodosia. The most likely time for the founding of Theodosius is around the middle of the 6th century BC.

The next wave of colonists falls at the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. It is associated with the anti-Persian uprising of the Greek cities of Ionia, led by Miletus and ended in defeat. It is likely that at that time another batch of settlers from Ionia arrived in Feodosia.

In the first half of the 4th c. BC e. the city became part of the Bosporan state and received a new name - Feodosia - "Given by God". We first meet the name of the city "Feodosia" in the sources of the 4th century BC - the works of ancient authors, inscriptions of the Bosporan kingdom and on the coins minted by the city.

The remark of the ancient grammarian Ulpian is very important: "Feodosia is a place in the Bosporus. The name of the marketplace was given either from a sister or from a wife: there is disagreement about this." Many researchers believe that we are talking about the sister or wife of the Bosporus ruler Levkon 1, who, as we will see later, conquered the independent Theodosian state and annexed it to his possessions. This sad event happened in the first decades of the 4th century BC. It follows that the city used to have a different name. Which?

When the Theodosian state was independent, it issued coins with the inscriptions: "feodeo" or "feodos". This is an abbreviated word, possibly from the male name Theodeos, which includes the word "theo" (deity). Note that on the front side of the early Theodosian coins, a male head is clearly visible. It is known that the Greeks often called their colonies by the names of their founders (Oikists), and after death they honored them as heroes. It seems that the colonists, who settled on the coast of the Feodosia Gulf, named their city in honor of its founder, and later placed his portrait (with a ribbon on his head as a sign of heroization) on their first coins.

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When Levkon 1 annexed the city to his kingdom, he apparently renamed it Theodosia (Theodosia), that is, God's gift. It is impossible not to notice that the new name is close in sound to the old one, it is possible that in this way the Bosporus king tried to win over his new subjects. In addition, Levkon felt like the second founder of the city: in the 4th century BC, after joining the Bosporus, Theodosius experienced a period of prosperity.

For Levkon and his successors, such an acquisition as Theodosius really became a "gift of God": the royal family and many business people in the Bosporus were enriched at its expense. It is very likely that the deity in the new name of the city meant Apollo, who, firstly, was considered by the Greeks as the patron of the colonists, and secondly, was the supreme deity in the Bosporus. Theodosian coins with the image, possibly, of Apollo and the inscription "Theodos", reflecting the already new name of the city, could be minted shortly after its annexation to the Bosporus. The legends of the next two coin issues - "feudo" and "feu" - also represent the new name of the city - Feodosia.

202
The north returns to Rome.

203
Consulate of R. Fulvius Plautian and P. Septimius Reta. Opening of the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome. Origen replaces Clement at the head of the school of catechists. "Passion" Perpetva.

203-204
North in Africa.

205
Consulate of Caracalla and Reta. Murder of Plautian. Plotinus was born in Egypt.

208
An uprising began (from 208 to 211) in Northern Britain.

208
North is heading from Rome to Britain.

211
The reign of Emperor Caracalla (from 211 to 217), the son of Septimius Severus, began.

212
Caracalla kills Geta and becomes sole emperor (February). "Antonin's Constitution". Accession to the throne of Artabanus V.

212
Edict of Caracalla granting the rights of Roman citizenship to all free-born inhabitants of the empire, except for the dedicii.

213
War with the Germanic and Danubian tribes. Caracalla wins victories over the Alamanni.

214
Edessa becomes a Roman colony.

215
Caracalla spends the winter in Antioch, and then advances to the western borders of Adiabene.

215
A war began (from 215 to 217) with Parthia.

216
Mani is born.

217
The murder of Caracalla near Karr (April 8), an interregnum began - a change of rulers in a short period of time (from 217 to 222). Macrinus becomes emperor, he is defeated near Nisibin (summer).

218
Opilius Markin (not Sever), who replaced Caracalla in 217, was killed and was replaced by Diadumenian (not Sever), and then Heliogobal (Elagabal), who ruled from 218 to 222.

218
Elagabalus is proclaimed emperor at Raphanei (May 16) after his supporters defeated Macroun, who was put to death. Elagabal spends the winter in Nicomedia.

219
Elagabal arrives in Rome (end of summer).

220
Consulate of Elagabalus and Comazon.

222
Zlagabal adopts his cousin Alexian as Caesar under the name of Marcus Aurelius Alexander. Murder

222
The reign of Emperor Alexander Severus (from 222 to 235) began under the regents - mother, Julia Mammei, grandmother, Julia Masa, and lawyer Ulpian. Relations with the Senate improved, measures were taken to strengthen large land ownership.

223
Prefect of the Praetorian Guard and jurist Ulpian is killed by his own soldiers.

226
Artashir is crowned and becomes King of Kings of Iran.

229
Consulate of Alexander Severus and Cassius Dio.

230
The Persians invade Mesopotamia and lay siege to Nisibin.

231
Alexander Sever leaves Rome for the East (spring).

232
The unsuccessful offensive of the Romans against Persia. Origen, expelled from Alexandria, settles in Caesarea.

233
Alexander returns to Rome.

234
War against the Alemanni. Maximinus, a Thracian, is proclaimed emperor by the troops of Pannonia.

235
Alexander Sever is killed, the Sever dynasty ended. The period of reign of the "soldier emperors" began (from 235 to 284). The first was Maximin the Thracian (from 135 to 238).

235
Maximinus, confirmed by the senate as emperor, defeats the Alemanni. Adoption of judgments against Christians.

236
Military operations against the Sarmatians and Dacians.

238
The Gordians came to power. In a year, Gordian I, Gordian II, Balbin, Puppien replaced each other, until Gordian III (from 138 to 244 g) was strengthened. Columns rebelled in Africa.

238
M. Antonius Gordian, proconsul of Africa, is proclaimed emperor and rules with his son. They are killed by the Numidian legate Capellian. The Senate appoints two new emperors - M. Clodius Poupien Maximus to command the legions and D. Caelius Balbinus to manage civil affairs (April 16). Maximinus is killed during the siege of Aquileia (May 10). The Praetorians kill Pupienus and Balbinus and enthrone the thirteen-year-old Gordian III. The invasion of the Goths across the Danube and the attack of the Dacian carps. M. Tullius Menophilus - ruler of Moesia Inferior until 241

240
Mani starts preaching in Iran. Shapur I succeeds Ardashir on the Iranian throne.

242
Solemn opening of hostilities against the Persians by Timosthenes, Prefect of the Praetorian Guard. The first war between Sasanian Iran and Rome began (from 242 to 244). With the death in 244 of Emperor Gordian III, Rome was defeated.

243
Timosthenes' victories over the Persians,

244
Assassination of Gordian III in Mesopotamia. Philip the Arabian is recognized as emperor. Philip makes peace with the Persians and goes to Rome.

244
The reign of Philip the Arabian began (from 244 to 247)

245
Wars on the Danube frontier until 247

247
Philip, the emperor's son, is granted the title of August, the Celebration of the Millennium of Rome.

247
Philip the Arabian was killed (from 244 to 247) - Philip the Younger began to rule (from 247 to 249)

248
Decius restores order in Moesia and Pannonia. "Against Celsus" Origen.

249
Troops force Decius to accept the imperial purple (June). The reign of Decius began (from 249 to 251) Philip and his son were killed in a battle with Decius near Verona (September). The resumption of attacks is ready. Persecution of Christians by Decius until 251

250
Edict against Christians and persecution of Christians.

251
Defeat and death of Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus on the Danube. Decius Trajan was killed in battle with the Goths (from 249 to 251), he was replaced by Decius the Younger, and then in the same year Gerenius and Hostilian (two sons of Decius) (May). Trebonian Gallus is proclaimed emperor along with the second son of Decius, the small child Hostilian, who soon dies.

251
"On Mistakes" and "On the Unity of the Universal Church" by Cyprian. Volusian, son of Gallus, proclaimed Augustus.

252
The European provinces are being invaded by Goths and other barbarians. The Persians overthrow Tiridates from the throne of Armenia and continue to attack Mesopotamia.

253
Aemilianus is proclaimed emperor, but after three or four months he is killed by his own soldiers upon receiving the news that the Rhenish legions in Moesia have declared Valeriaius emperor. Valerian arrives in Rome, and his son Gallienus is appointed by the senate on the second of August. The first sea voyage is ready to Asia Minor. Origen died in Tyre.

254
The Marcomanni penetrate into Pannenia and raid as far as Ravenna. The Goths devastate Thrace. Shapur takes possession of Niribin.

255
The second war between Sasanian Iran and Rome began (from 255 to 260).

256
The sea voyage is ready to Asia Minor.

257
Valerian begins new persecution of Christians - Another Edict against Christians and the persecution of Christians. The Persian invasion resumes.

258
Gaul, Britain, Spain fell away from the empire. The Gallic Empire was formed, led by Postunus, a Roman general who usurped power and was killed by soldiers in 268.

258
Cyprian is martyred (September 14). Gallio defeats the Alemanni (or in 259).

259
Dionysius I, Bishop of Rome.

260
The Romans were defeated at Edessa during the war with Sasanian Iran (from 255 to 260), the emperor Valerian was taken prisoner, where he died.

260
The reign of Gallienus (from 260 to 268), the son and co-ruler of Valerian, began.

260 or 259
Gallienus stops the persecution of Christians. Marcianus and Quietus are proclaimed emperors by the army in the East, Postumus - in Gaul (or in 258?). Ingenv and later Regalian uprisings in Pannonia.

261
Marcianus is killed in battle with Aureoles. Quiet is executed at Emesa.

262
Odenathus, king of Palmyra, defeats Shapur and the Persians. Opening of the Arch of Gallienus.

267
The Goths invade Asia Minor. Odenathus, king of Palmyra, killed; his widow Xenovia seizes power on behalf of her infant son Vaballathus.

268
Large forces of the Goths are fighting on land and at sea in Thrace, Greece and other places. Gallienus is victorious at Naissus in Moesia. Gallienus is killed at the siege of Milan (August). Claudius becomes emperor and kills Lereola. The synod in Antioch declares Paul of Samosata a heretic.

268
Gallienus (reigned from 260 to 268) was killed. Claudius of Gotha (ruled from 268 to 270), the first of the Illyrians, became emperor. The Palmyra kingdom was formed.

268\9
Posthumus is killed.

269
The Romans defeated the Goths at Naissus. The offensive of the Danubian tribes was stopped, the movement of the Bagauds began.

270
Claudius dies of the plague in Sirmium, in Pannonia (January). Quintillus, his brother, is elected emperor by the senate, but Aurelian successfully rebels against him. Aurelian's victory over the Jutungi. Palmyrene troops enter Alexandria. Plotinus died.

271
Aurelian begins building new walls around Rome. Organized migration of the Romans from Dacia to the southern bank of the Danube. Aurelian goes on the offensive against Xenovia.

272?
Shapur I died, succeeded by Hormizd I.

273
Aurelian destroys Palmyra. Hormizd I died, who was succeeded by Varahran I.

274
Aurelian subjugates Tetricus and retakes Gaul. Aurelian celebrates a triumph in Rome and reforms the monetary system. Temple of Aurelian dedicated to the Sun God in Rome.

275
Aurelian is killed in Thrace. Tacitus declared emperor (September).

276
Tacitus dies in Tyana; his brother Florian seizes power; Florian is killed at Tarsus and is succeeded by Probus. Varahran II ascends the throne of Iran.

277
Probus liberates Gaul from the Germans and is ready.

278
Probus is engaged in appeasement in Asia Minor.

282
The murder of Prob, who is replaced by Kar (early autumn).

282
The reign of Emperor Kara (by 283)

283
The war of the Romans with the Persians. After Kara's invasion of Mesopotamia, peace was concluded. Kar died from a lightning strike; he is succeeded by his sons Karin in the west and Numerian in the east.

283
Varahran II makes peace with Rome. "Cynegetia" ("Hunting Art") by Nemesian.

284
The reign of Emperor Diocletian began (from 284 to 305). Establishing dominance. Carrying out military reform, increasing the army to 450,000 people, monetary, tax reform, reduced the size of the provinces.

285
Diocles defeats Carinus at the Battle of Marga; Karin is killed by one of her officers. Diocles takes the name of Diocletian.

286
Maximian is granted the title of August after defeating the Bagaudes in Gaul.

286
In Gaul and Africa, peasant uprisings began (from 286 to 390), which were suppressed.

286-287
Arise Carauzia.

288
Diocletian concludes an agreement with Varahran II and elevates Tiridates III to the throne in Armenia. Diocletian puts down an uprising in Egypt.

289
Diocletian fights against the Sarmatians. Maximian is defeated by Carausius.

292
Diocletian fights against the Sarmatians.

293
Constantius and Galerius are appointed Caesars respectively in the West and in the East. Constantius retakes Boulogne from Carausius, who is killed by his adviser Allectus, who continues to rule Britain. Varahran II died. Varahran III, king of Iran, succeeds Narse I.

293
Tetrarchy was established in the empire - the rule of four.

296
Constantius wins Vritapia from Allectus. Agreement between Galerius and Narse.

296
The war with the Persians began, which ended in 298 with the victory of the Romans. Rome's Influence in Iran Strengthened

297
Decree of Diocletian against the Manichaeans (March 31), Revolt of Domitius Domitian in Egypt. War of Galerius against Iran.

298
Diocletian in Egypt.

The starting point is the Nativity of Christ - Jesus Christ. True, many researchers give other dates for the birth of the Savior, and someone refuses to believe in his existence at all, but the conditional calendar reference point exists, and there is no point in changing it. In order not to offend adherents of other religions and atheists, this conditional date, from which the years are counted, is called "our era."

Beginning of our era

According to the Gregorian calendar, our era began with its first year. In other words, first comes the first year BC, and then immediately the first year of our era. There is no additional zero year that could become a "reference point" between these years.

A century is a time span of 100 years. Namely, in 100, and not in 99. Therefore, if the first year of the first century was the first year of our era, then its last year was the hundredth year. Thus, the next - the second century began not from the hundredth year, but from the 101st. If the beginning of our era was year zero, then the period would cover the time from it to the year 99 inclusive, and the second century would begin from the year 100, but there is no zero year in the Gregorian calendar.

In the same way, all subsequent centuries ended and began. Not the 1999s completed them, but subsequent “round” dates with two zeros. Ages do not begin with round dates, but with the first year. The 17th century began in 1601, the 19th - in 1801. Accordingly, the first year of the 21st century was not 2000, as many thought, in a hurry to celebrate, but 2001. At the same time, the third millennium began. The year 2000 did not start the 21st, but ended the 20th century.

astronomical time

A slightly different account of time is used in astronomical science. This is due to the fact that the change of day, a, and years on Earth occurs gradually, hour by hour, and astronomers need a specific reference point that would be common to the entire Earth, for any part of it. As such, the moment was chosen when the average longitude of the Sun, if reduced by 20.496 arc seconds, is exactly 280 degrees. From this point in time, an astronomical unit of time is counted, which is a tropical year, or Bessel year - named after the German astronomer and F. W. Bessel.

The Bessel year begins a day earlier than the calendar year - December 31. In the same way, astronomers count years, so there is a zero year, 1 BC is considered such. In such a system, the last year of the century is indeed the year 99, and the next century begins with the “round date”.

But historians still consider years and centuries not according to the astronomical calendar, but according to the Gregorian, therefore, each century should begin from the first year, and not from the previous “zero”.

Historical chronology, as is known, is divided into two periods. In the beginning there was a time that contemporaries call the stage BC. It ends with the onset of the first year. At this time, our era began, which continues to this day. And although today, when naming the year, people do not say "AD", nevertheless, this is implied.

First calendars

The process of human evolution has created the need to streamline dates and times. The ancient farmer needed to know as accurately as possible at what time it is better for him to sow seeds, the nomadic livestock breeder - when to move to other territories in order to have time to provide his livestock with fodder.

So the very first calendars began to appear. And they were based on observations of celestial bodies and nature. Different nations also had different time calendars. For example, the Romans kept their reckoning from the day of the founding of Rome - from 753 BC, while the Egyptians - from the first moment of the reign of each of the dynasties of the pharaohs. Many religions also created their own calendars. For example, in Islam, a new era begins with the year when the prophet Muhammad was born.

Julian and Gregorian calendars

Gaius Julius Caesar founded his calendar in 45 BC. In it, the year began on the first of January and lasted twelve months. This calendar was called the Julian.

The one we use today was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory the Twelfth. He managed to eliminate some significant inaccuracies that had accumulated since the first. At that time, they were as much as ten days. The difference between Julian and increases by about a day every century, and today is already thirteen days.

In history, reckoning always plays a big role. After all, it is important to imagine in what period of time a significant event in the life of mankind took place, whether it was the creation of the first tools of labor or the beginning. They say that history without dates is similar to mathematics without numbers.

Religious form of reckoning

Since the beginning of our era is calculated from the year considered to be the date of the birth of Jesus, the corresponding record is often used in the religious version: from the birth of Christ and before him. There is still no completely accurate historical data on when life appeared on our planet. And only based on religious and historical artifacts, scientists can draw conclusions about when this or that event approximately occurred. In this case, the years BC are indicated in chronologically reverse order.

Zero year

The mention of the division between the time before and after the Nativity of Christ is associated with a calculation in astronomical notation, made according to the numbers of integers on the coordinate axis. The zero year is not customary to use in either religious or secular notation. But it is very common in astronomical notation and in ISO 8601, an international standard issued by an organization such as the International Organization for Standardization. It describes the format of dates and times and provides guidelines for their application in an international context.

Countdown

The concept of "BC" gained its distribution in the chronology after its use by the Venerable Bede, a Benedictine monk. He wrote about it in one of his treatises. And already starting from 731, the calculation of time was divided into two periods: before our era and after it. Gradually, almost all countries in Western Europe began to switch to this calendar. The most recent of these was Portugal. It happened on August 22, 1422. Until January 1, 1700, Russia used the chronological calculation of the Constantinople era. The Christian era "from the creation of the world" was taken as the starting point in it. By and large, many eras were based on the relationship between the “days of the creation of the world” and the entire duration of its existence. And Constantinople was created under Constantius, and the chronology for it was carried out from September 1, 5509 BC. However, since this emperor was not a "consistent Christian", his name, and at the same time the countdown compiled by him, are reluctantly mentioned.

Prehistoric and historical eras

History is prehistoric and historical eras. The first of them begins with the appearance of the first man, and ends when writing appeared. The prehistoric era is divided into several time periods. Their classification is based on archaeological finds. These materials, from which people made tools before our era, the period when they used them, formed the basis for recreating not only time frames, but also the names of the stages of the prehistoric era.

The historical era consists of the periods of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as the New and Modern Times. In different countries, they came at different times, so scientists are not able to determine their exact time frame.

It is well known that the new era at the very beginning was not calculated by a continuous count of years, for example, starting from the first year and up to, let's say, the current one. Its chronology began much later, with the date of the Nativity of Christ. It is believed that it was first calculated by a Roman monk named Dionysius the Lesser in the sixth century, that is, more than five hundred years after the dated event. To get the result, Dionysius first counted the date of the Resurrection of Christ, based on church tradition that the Son of God was crucified in the thirty-first year of life.

The date of his Resurrection, according to the Roman monk, is the twenty-fifth of March 5539 according to the calendar "from Adam", and the year of the Nativity of Christ, therefore, became the 5508th in the Byzantine era. It must be said that the calculations of Dionysius up to the fifteenth century raised doubts in the West. In Byzantium itself, they were never recognized as canonical.

From the seventh to the third millennium BC, there was the Neolithic era on the planet - the period of transition from the appropriating form of economy, namely hunting and gathering, to the productive one - agriculture and cattle breeding. At this time, weaving, grinding stone tools and pottery appeared.

The end of the fourth - the beginning of the first millennium BC: the Bronze Age reigns on the planet. Metal and bronze weapons are spreading, nomadic pastoralists appear. changed to Iron. At this time, the first and second dynasties ruled in Egypt, uniting the country into a single

In 2850-2450 BC. e. the economic rise of the Sumerian civilization began. From 2800 to 1100, the Aegean or Ancient Greek culture rises. Almost at the same time, the Indus civilization was born in the Indus Valley, the highest flowering of the kingdom of Troy was observed.

Around 1190 B.C. e. the powerful Hittite state collapsed. After almost four decades, the Elamite king captured Babylonia, and his power flourished.

In 1126-1105 BC. e. came the reign of the Babylonian sovereign Nebuchadnezzar. In 331, the first state was formed in the Caucasus. In 327 BC. e. was held by the Indian company of Alexander the Great. During this period, a lot of events took place, including the uprising of slaves in Sicily, the Allied War, the Mithridatic Wars, the campaign against the Parthians, the reign of Emperor Augustus.

And finally, between the eighth and fourth years BC, Christ was born.

New chronology

For different peoples, the concept of chronology has always been unequal. Each state solved this problem independently, while being guided by both religious and political motives. And only by the nineteenth century did all Christian states establish a single point of reference, which is still used today under the name "our era." The ancient Mayan calendar, the Byzantine era, the Hebrew chronology, the Chinese - they all had their own date of creation of the world.

For example, the Japanese calendar began in 660 BC and was updated after each death of an emperor. The Buddhist era will soon enter the year 2484 and the Hindi calendar will enter the year 2080. The Aztecs updated their chronology once every 1454, after the death and rebirth of the Sun. Therefore, if their civilization had not died, for them today it would be only 546 AD...

Ancient map of the world

Before our era, travelers were also interested in the world and made drawings of their routes. They transferred them to tree bark, sand or papyrus. The first map of the world appeared many millennia before the new era. It was the rock paintings that became one of the first images. While people were scouting the Earth, they became especially interested in the ancient maps of past eras. Some of them represent our planet as a huge island washed by the ocean, on others you can already see the outlines of the continents.

Babylonian map

The very first map created before our era was a small clay tablet found in Mesopotamia. It dates from the end of the eighth - the beginning of the seventh centuries BC and is the only one that has come down to us from the Babylonians. The land on it is surrounded by seas called "salt water". Behind the water are triangles, obviously denoting the mountains of distant lands.

This map shows the state of Urartu (modern Armenia), Assyria (Iraq), Elam (Iran) and Babylon itself, in the middle of which the Euphrates flows.

Map of Eratosthenes

Even the ancient Greeks represented the Earth as a sphere and argued this very elegantly. Pythagoras, for example, said that everything is harmonious in nature, and the most perfect form in it is a ball in the form of which our planet exists. The first map drawn from this image of the Earth belongs to Eratosthenes. He lived in the third century BC in Cyrene. It is believed that this scientist who led and coined the term "geography". It was he who, for the first time before our era, drew the world into parallels and meridians and called them "going side by side" or "noon" lines. The world of Eratosthenes was one island, which was washed by the North from above and the Atlantic Ocean from below. It was divided into Europe, Ariana and Arabia, India and Scythia. In the south was Taproban - the current Ceylon.

At the same time, it seemed to Eratosthenes that “antipodes” live on the other hemisphere, which cannot be reached. After all, people then, including the ancient Greeks, thought that it was so hot near the equator that the sea boils there, and all living things burn out. And, on the contrary, it is very cold at the poles, and not a single person survives there.

Map of Ptolemy

For several centuries, another map of the world was considered the main one. It was compiled by the ancient Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy. Created about one hundred and fifty years BC, it was part of the eight-volume "Guide to Geography".

According to Ptolemy, Asia occupied the space from the North Pole to the very equator, displacing the Pacific Ocean, while Africa smoothly flowed into terra incognita, occupying the entire South Pole. To the north of Scythia was the mythical Hyperborea, and nothing was said about America or Australia. It was thanks to this map that Columbus began to get to India, while sailing west. And even after the discovery of America, they continued to use the map from Ptolemy for some time.