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<< Our Photo Pages >> Kokino - Rock Outcrop in North Macedonia

Submitted by Andy B on Friday, 21 May 2010  Page Views: 55793

Natural PlacesSite Name: Kokino
Country: North Macedonia Type: Rock Outcrop
Nearest Town: Kokino  Nearest Village: Kokino
Latitude: 42.260000N  Longitude: 21.850000E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
3

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I have visited· I would like to visit

ModernExplorers visited on 26th Jul 2012 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Difficult to find site at the top of a mountain

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : View of the megalithic observatory at Kokino. Photo copyright Gjore Cenev (Vote or comment on this photo)
In 2001, on the foot path of a mountain pick, near the village Kokino, archeologist Jovica Stankovski, discovered an archeological site from The Bronze Age. The site has a stately dimension and is scaled on two levels. Several stone seats (thrones) are dominant on the site and they are pointing towards the east horizon.

Even from the first visit it could be noticed that through the entire site there were traces of a deliberate human intervention. Archaeological excavations are carried out on the upper platform on which valuable movable material has been found (ceramic fragments mostly), animal bones, pyramidal weights, fragments of two hones (grind stones) made of filitic slate and a kelt mould.

It was discovered that the site, in the course of the whole second millennium B.C. was used as an Observatory, which indicates a high level of cultural progress and social organization of the inhabitants who used the observatory.

The high concentration of the movable archaeological material found on the upper platform probably indicates its use in a function which is so far remains unknown cult activities. The disposition and the concept of the whole site itself, speaks of the use of the locality as a Peak Sanctuary.

With precise measurement and detail archaeo-astronomical analyze of the site preformed in the past two years by Gjore Cenev, physicist from Planetarim in Skopje, it was shown that the site has a characteristics of a sacred site, but also of a Megalithic Observatory.

Special markers of stone have been found, used for marking all characteristics points of the movement of the Sun and Moon on the east horizon. The observatory used a method of stationary observationm, marking positions of the Sun at the winter and summer solstice, as well as the equinox.

Beside positions of winter and summer solstice, points of maximum and minimum digressions of the Moon are accordingly marked as well. Analysis showed that days when special rituals were held, especially those of the harvest were marked on a most appropriate way. Evidence for this can be found in huge number of archeological findings of terracotta, especially large number of manual mils for grain.

One specially positioned marker is very interesting because it shows that from this observatory they followed the movement of the star cluster Pleiades. According to the Sun coordinates in solstice points, as well as found terracotta it was determined that the observatory is from 1800 B.C.

The original announcement

See also this feature article written for us by Gjore Cenev.

Note: New article on Kokino from CNN, see comment
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Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : View of the megalithic observatory at Kokino. Photo copyright Gjore Cenev (16 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (3 comments)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (2 comments)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev (4 comments)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Sunrise seen through ritual marker. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Startrails over Kokino. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Pottery from the megalithic observatory at Kokino. Photo copyright Gjore Cenev

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Winter set of markers. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski. (1 comment)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Sun rays over Kokino. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski. (1 comment)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Kokino Lunar Month. Ancient observatory/temple in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom). Photo from: Gjore Cenev (1 comment)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Kokino Moonrise 03 Jan 2007. Ancient observatory/temple in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom). Photo from: Gjore Cenev

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Kokino Moonrise 05 Dec 2006. Ancient observatory/temple in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) Photo from: Gjore Cenev (1 comment)

Kokino
Kokino submitted by jasenko : This is a photo taken at Kokino, Republic of Macedonia displaying the astrological marker pointing at south-eastern sky.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Ritual marker Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Kokino in the distant horizon. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Foggy day on Kokino. Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by Gjore_Cenev : Thrones Photographs taken by Ljupco Ilievski.

Kokino
Kokino submitted by janevskitoni : Well known megalithic observatory in Macedonia, near Kumanovo

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"Kokino" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Where the ancients studied the moon and stars by Andy B on Friday, 21 May 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
Macedonia is the youngest ancient country in the world and is full of relics of times past.

It has been part of all the great empires of history, from Roman to Ottoman to Byzantine and they have all left their mark with thousands of ancient sites.

The country has an estimated 4,485 archaeological sites from all historical periods, according to Pasko Kuzman, of the country's Cultural Heritage Protection Office.

Jewel in the crown is Kokino, discovered in the mountains near Kumanovo in 2001 by local archaeologist Jovica Stankovski. It is a 4,000-year-old Megalithic Observatory used in the Bronze Age for studying the sun and moon.

The site, at an altitude of more than 1,000m and with a 100m diameter, is described as the "Macedonian Stonehenge" [no it isn't, apart from by brain dead journalists - MegP Ed] and is ranked by NASA as the fourth oldest ancient observatory in the world, after Abu Simbel in Egypt, Stonehenge in Britain and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Several stone seats, known as thrones and facing the east horizon were also discovered on the site.

Research showed that the observatory had a specific place for monitoring the stars and the sun, as well as specific holes through which the movement of the sun and the moon could be recorded.

More at CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/05/10/macedonia.ancient.sites.gallery/?hpt=C2

With thanks to Angie for spotting this
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Kokino by Anonymous on Thursday, 01 October 2009
In addition I provide an interesting link for Kokino with images. With in the web site there is a map where you can see the geo-location of the entire area. Link: Kokino observatory
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Kokino by Anonymous on Wednesday, 20 December 2006
Eden esenski den go posetiv Kokino.
So ogled deka sum tehnicar, naveduvam moi licni zabeleski:
1.Za da stasa covek do Kokino, treba da e majstor. Nikade nema tabli-patokazi pa i vo samoto podnozje na opservatorijata ima samo edna tabla zakacena na grmuski. Da ne zboruvam za priodot od glavniot pat (kaj mostot).
2.Planinarska pateka do lokalitetot ne e obelezana. Samiot lokalitet ne e zastiten so nitu eden patokaz:kade moze da se gazi a kade ne!
3.Na samiot lokalitet ne postojat obelezani pateki nitu pak tabli sto e sto!
4.Od iskopanite dupki od krtovite se naogjaat bezbroj artefakti od keramika koi sekoj moze da si gi zeme kako spomen?
I jas zedov nekoi parcinja ama so namera da gi strucno ispitam i rezultatite da vi gi dostavam.
Pozdrav, prof. d-r Vladan Zlatanovik, TMF Skopje
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Kokino by Anonymous on Wednesday, 18 April 2007
    Domashna zadacha: Napishete kako ste si pominale eden ubav esenski den

    P.S. Profesore dobivte 5-ka po Makedonski jazik, dojdete da Vi ja napisheme vo 1-1 oddelenie vo OU "Kocho Racin"

    Iskreno vash,
    Uchitel od 1-4 oddelenie
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Kokino by Anonymous on Saturday, 30 August 2008
    Zdravo d-r Zlatanovik, bi sakale da ve prasame dokolku imate e-mail adresa da ni ja dadete da ve iskontaktirame...
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Kokino by Anonymous on Friday, 24 October 2008
    tokmu taka, jas vcera bev za prv pat i si se cudam na umnive tapoglavci zosto e toa taka ostaveno na komu ide, a da ne zborime deka nikakov marker nema obelezano nitu pojasneto od kade kako da gledas za da sfatis shto e shto. so eden zbor: observatorija? zimi majka.
    [ Reply to This ]

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