Archaeologists have discovered a spectacular gallery of cave paintings in a remote grotto in the Zagros Mountains, dating back roughly 25,000 years. The centerpiece of the collection is a 5-meter-long depiction of a 'Celestial Serpent' adorned with glowing dots. Analysis of the pigments reveals the use of a rare, naturally occurring bioluminescent mineral, which would have shimmered in the low light of torches.
The dots along the serpent's body align perfectly with the positions of the Milky Way and major constellations as they would have appeared in the night sky during the Upper Paleolithic era. This discovery suggests that early human communities in the region possessed a highly developed system of ethno-astronomy and used cave sanctuaries for complex celestial rituals long before the rise of settled civilizations.