Long before modern telescopes allowed us to explore deep space ancient astronomers were already reaching for the stars.
This fascinating round tablet known as the Sumerian Planisphere was discovered in the ruins of Nineveh in modern day Iraq. Dating to roughly 700 BCE the clay surface is covered in cuneiform inscriptions and geometric symbols that map out the sky. While scholars still debate the exact meaning many believe it records a major celestial event such as a massive meteor impact or a solar eclipse. Whether it is a scientific star chart or a mythological map of the heavens it perfectly captures how ancient humanity tried to understand the universe through symbols carved in wet clay.