Kokino megalithic observatory
Observatorio megalítico de Kokino
- Date
- c. 1900-1700 BCE · confidence low
- Place
- Kokino, Staro Nagoričane, Kumanovo, North Macedonia
- Credited to
- Bronze Age communities of the Balkans
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
A hilltop complex with stone thrones and markers that, according to its discoverers, indicate sunrise and moonrise at solstices and equinoxes. It is presented as one of the oldest prehistoric observatories in Europe.
Discovered in 2001 by archaeologist Jovica Stankovski and studied by Gjore Cenev. The astronomical function is interpretive; the 'fourth oldest observatory' ranking attributed to NASA has no documented support. Pottery dating points to c. 1900-1700 BC.
What it led to
- astronomical readings of Bronze Age hilltop sanctuaries
- cultural and tourist appeal of the site, a UNESCO candidate