The explosion of comet fragments in the Earth’s atmosphere 12.8 thousand years ago probably caused the transition to agriculture in the territory of modern Syria. This conclusion was reached by an international group of scientists from the USA and the UK. To work published In the scientific journal Airbursts and Cratering Impacts (ACI).
The comet impact triggered a dramatic shift in lifestyle from hunting to agriculture and the domestication of wild animals, according to a new analysis of the ruins of the ancient settlement of Abu Hureyra in the north of the country.
According to scientists, about 13 thousand years ago, a block of ice about 100 km wide entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The celestial body belonged to the centaur class, objects that combine the properties of asteroids and comets. One of the fragments of the disintegrated centaur exploded in the atmosphere, destroying Abu Hureyra and its inhabitants with a shock wave.
“According to available evidence, this is the oldest example of a human settlement catastrophically damaged by a cosmic impact,” the scientific paper states.
Centaur’s explosion also created dense dust clouds that blocked sunlight and caused cold.
The study showed that before the comet hit, settlers ate mostly wild berries, fruits and legumes, while after the disaster, their diet shifted to cultivated grains and lentils. The region has also seen an increase in the cultivation of drought-tolerant crops.
Previous scientists warned It’s about a potentially dangerous asteroid approaching Earth.