The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced the discovery of a 2,500-year-old ancient astronomical observatory by a team of a team of scientists and archaeologists, which they say is the “first and largest” of its kind in its history.
The observatory, according to the Ministry, is the remains of the sixth-century-B.C. structure, and was discovered three years ago during excavations at an archaeological site in the ancient city of Buto, now called Tell Al-Faraeen, in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh governorate.
In a statement by the Director-General of Kafr El-Sheikh Antiquities and Head of the Egyptian Archaeological Mission, Hossam Ghonim, the team uncovered the ruins of an L-shaped mud-brick building spanning over 9,150 square feet (850 square meters).
‘Its east-facing entrance, marked by a traditional gateway known as a pylon, leads to a spot where sunlight would have illuminated where the sky observer — known as ‘smn pe’ and who was usually a priest — stood to track the sun and stars. Everything we found shattered our expectations,” Ghonim said.
He added that the structure still has a carving of smn pe facing the rising sun.
“This figure symbolizes the ancient Egyptians’ connection to the cosmos. At first, the team thought they had discovered a temple. Yet, as the excavation progressed, they uncovered artifacts and inscribed symbols, such as Chen, Cenet and Benu, that related to time and astronomy.
‘But it was the discovery of a huge sundial — along with several inscriptions, artifacts and the layout of the building — that led researchers to make the new announcement that this structure was an observatory.
“A surveying and timekeeping tool known as a merkhet, pottery, religious items, and a statue dated to the 26th Dynasty (664–526 B.C.) were also recovered.
“The discovery highlights the advanced astronomical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, including their ability to determine the solar calendar and significant religious and agricultural dates,” Ghonim explained.