Researchers believe a comet might have caused decline of Hopwell culture

#Asteroid #comet #culture

Researchers hypothesize that the near-Earth comet's impact might have affected the existence of tribes profoundly
The folk tales also talk about a serpent in the sky
Researchers believe that the decline in Hopwell culture can be traced to the 1500 year old celestial event

Written By:Sambavi

Updated: February 04 2022 05:25:45 AM ET New Delhi, Delhi, India

Researchers are studying the reasons behind decline of Hopwell culture in eastern US and have associated it with a 1,500-year-old celestial event.

According to science, it was a direct impact from an asteroid on our planet which brought an end to the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Humanity has not suffered a similar fate but researchers strongly believe that a celestial event which took place 1,500 years ago has already given us a taste of what would happen if the event recurs.

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The near-Earth comet had sent debris towards Earth which had caused widespread fires in the eastern Europe in an area spanning around 9,200 square miles. It was mistaken to be an asteroid but researchers identify it as a comet. While war and climate factors have also been considered to be potential reasons for the decline of Hopwell culture, researchers believe it is the blast from the near-Earth comet which has played a huge role.

They support their statement with the unusual amounts of iridium and platinum found on eleven of the Hopwell archeological sites. These elements are tell-tale signs of the meteor blast. The charcoal layer in sediments of the ground also indicates a period of intense heat.

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The team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati hypothesize that the near-Earth comet may have sent the debris, resulting in a massive airburst which had a profound effect on the existence of these tribes. The hypothesis is also supported by folk tales from that period which have been passed down orally. Some of the tales talk about a giant serpent slithering across the sky, which researchers believe to be the comet as perceived by the tribals who didn’t have a word for comet.

While researchers agree that they need more study to come to a definite conclusion, the cultural and archeological indications point towards a historic episode of ‘when humanity interacted with the sky’.