Archaeologists discover the very first astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt

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Reported by Live Science:

Archaeologists have identified the first ancient Egyptian astronomical observatory on record, which they say is the "first and largest" of its kind, according to a translated statement from the country's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

An Egyptian archaeological team discovered the remains of the sixth-century-B.C. structure 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.

"Everything we found shattered our expectations," Hossam Ghonim, director general of Kafr El-Sheikh Antiquities and head of the Egyptian archaeological mission, told Live Science.

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, Ghonim said.

The structure still has a carving of smn pe facing the rising sun. This figure symbolizes the ancient Egyptians' connection to the cosmos, Ghonim said.

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, Ghonim said. 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, Ghonim explained.

"Along the hall's northern side, we discovered a slanted stone sundial — a sun shadow clock that used the shifting angles of the sun's shadows to determine sunrise, noon and sunset — a simple yet profound method," said Ghonim, who noted that, initially, archaeologists thought the clock was a temple gate. The team also found an ancient Egyptian timekeeping device known as a "merkhet," also from the sixth century B.C., at the site.

These findings shed light on the astronomical techniques used by the ancient Egyptians so they could determine the solar calendar and the dates of religious and official rituals, such as the coronation of kings and the agricultural year, according to the statement.

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