Egyptian archaeologists say they’ve found the oldest known astronomical observatory in the country.
The newly discovered structure covers more than 9,000 square feet and is built in an L-shape. Researchers believe it goes back to the sixth century B.C. The building was first uncovered three years ago during an excavation of the city of Buto, now called Tell Al-Faraeen, which is located in the country’s El-Sheikh region.
Hossam Ghonim, who led the dig team, said it “shattered our expectations.” He said the building’s entrance is facing east and features a gate known as pylon, which opens onto an area where the sunlight would have come in. A “smn pe,” or sky observer, thought to be a priest, would make observations of the sun and the stars in the night sky.
By studying the statues on the site made of granite and bronze, and by examining the pottery, researchers believe they can prove that the building was in use during the sixth century B.C.
The structure was first discovered in 2021, and the team at first thought that it was a purely religious temple. But further digging unearthed artifacts and markings that related to time-keeping and stargazing. But one feature of the structure sealed the deal. On the northern side of the hall, archaeologists found a sundial made of stone. It is described as a sun shadow clock that marks three points in the day: sunrise, noon, and sunset.
Researchers also found writing chiseled in stone that depicted the rising and setting of the sun over three different seasons. Ghonim explained that ancient Egyptians saw the earth and the sky above as “two mats.” They mapped both of them and made calendars that depicted important events like the annual flooding of the Nile, which enriches the soil for agriculture, and the annual harvest. He said the structure at Buto yielded the first known “inscribed stone mat.”
The team was also interested in a “triad of pillars” at the building’s entrance. They suspect these three pieces represent the ancient Egyptian conception of time in three parts: seasons, months, and weeks.
