Tourism in Macedonia

KOKINO - Ancient observatory near Kumanovo

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 1800B.C.

Macedonia's Megalithic-era Kokino Observatory is located 1,030m above sea level on the Tativec Kamen Summit near Kumanovo. Archaeological and astronomical analyses have shown that the observatory is more than 3,800 years old. According to NASA, which earlier this year released a list ranking observatories by age, it is the fourth oldest in the world, after Abu Simbel in Egypt, Stonehenge in Britain and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
"Kokino has incredible astronomical preciseness and has a central observation post and accessory observation posts," says physicist Gjore Cenev, the head of Macedonia's Youth Cultural Centre Planetarium, who has been performing a detailed analysis of the site. "The observatory defines the four main positions of the Moon and three main positions of the Sun during a year, the autumnal and vernal equinox and winter and summer solstice." One specially positioned marker shows that the observatory was also used to follow the movement of the star cluster Pleiades.
According to Cenev, the observatory was designed by the end of the Bronze Age and suggests a highly developed civilisation. "Ancient people made their calendar with precision, with many markers and cuts in the rock and on some places on the observatory. The observatory also helped them to determine the time for harvest and other dates," he says.
Archeologist Jovica Stankovksi discovered Kokino two and a half years ago. "We found a lot of ceramic items on the site but they were dated to a later period," he says. "This leads to a conclusion that another civilisation came to the site, destroyed the civilisation that had developed the observatory and built a settlement next to it," Stankovski says.
Exploration of the site is to resume next month, and the discovery of more details on the civilisation that built and used Kokino is expected. The Dutch Foundation has provided 4,000 euros for a catalogue about the site.
"The ministry of culture will also participate in the catalogue preparation with 500 euros," Cenev said. "This ultimately confirms that there is cultural heritage in Macedonia that should be explored." Archaeologists and astronomers assume there are three or four more such observatories in this region.