7. The Calanders

The earliest formal calendar in Mesopotamia was probably the Sumerian lunar calendar. The lunar calendar required intercalation with insertion of days or other portions of time in calendars and was later improved by the Babylonian priests. They interpolated the months according to an 8-year cycle when they would add 3 extra months. The calendar months started with the direct observation of a new crescent moon at dusk. Today, Jewish and Islamic calendar system still use the same principle that the new calendar day begins at sunset. The referral texts about constellations of the Zodiac preserved at the British Museum possess several familiar representations of Almanac in Astrology. The Bull, the Tortoise, a female figure with wings, the Scorpion, the Archer and the Goat-fish are all portrayed on stones, cylinder seals and gems. Calendars extensively utilized all such information were used by various civil and religious institutions and their origin was attributed to several civilizations allied to Gods and Goddesses.