Adam's Calendar – Ehlanzeni, South Africa - Atlas Obscura

Adam's Calendar

Hidden in the hills is a mysterious stone structure, known only to a few. 

35
467

In 2003, South African pilot Johan Heine was flying over the hills of the gorgeous Mpumalanga region of South Africa when he crashed his plane into the mountainside. After exiting the plane, Heine saw before him three monolithic, five-ton dolomite stones sticking out of the ground, and behind them a giant stone circle. 

Known to only a select few and accessible solely by rough dirt roads past the wild horses of Kaapschehoop, the megalithic stone calendar is dubbed Adam’s Calendar. With the shape of a circle and a diameter of 100 feet, it is nicknamed the “Birthplace of the Sun” and dubbed “Africa’s Stonehenge.” As with many similar stone monuments, it loosely aligns with the celestial world.

The stone circle generated a fair amount of buzz after Michael Tellinger, a writer, claimed it is the oldest manmade structure in the world and was made by a vanished civilization. However, his claims have been widely disputed. As of now, the true age, origin, and purpose of Adam’s Calendar remains a mystery that is yet to be solved.

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web