Kokino, the Ancient Observatory
On a rocky hilltop in North Macedonia, notches carved into the stone seem to mark where the Sun and Moon rise at key times of the year.
What was reported
Kokino is a Bronze Age site on a volcanic hilltop in north-eastern North Macedonia, discovered in 2001. Archaeologists found stone seats carved into the rock and a series of notches and markers on the eastern horizon.
Researchers argue that the markers line up with sunrise on the solstices and equinoxes and with key positions of the Moon, so that people could track the calendar. Pottery found there suggests the site was used for ceremonies.
Explanations offered
Some archaeologists accept it as an ancient observatory and sacred site, while others think the alignments may be partly coincidence. A widely repeated claim that NASA ranked it among the world's oldest observatories turned out to be a misunderstanding.
- When
- Used from about 1800 BC
- Where
- Kokino, Kumanovo, North Macedonia
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists
- Status
- Debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.