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Egypt · Living Traditions
Nabta
Playa Stone Circle
See it in practice
▶ View recordingAn ancient stone circle in the Nubian Desert, 700 miles south of the Great Pyramid of Giza and 60 miles west of the Nile. It features a small circle with stone slabs marking the north and the summer solstice sunrise position. The site also includes other megalithic structures, burial chambers, and alignments suggesting astronomical purposes like tracking the summer solstice and monsoon season arrival.
Testimony
It demonstrates advanced astronomical understanding and social organization among ancient Africans, indicating sophisticated knowledge of celestial bodies to mark seasonal events like the summer solstice and monsoon. The site also shows evidence of early agriculture, animal husbandry, and complex societal structures, including ceremonial burials and possible religious practices.
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It is one of the world's oldest astronomical sites, predating Stonehenge by 2,000 years. It highlights ingenuity and scientific achievements of ancient African civilizations, contributing to a broader understanding of human history and early society development. It underscores Africa's rich cultural and intellectual heritage, showcasing its significant contributions to early human civilization.
Academic source
Research by Fred Wendorf and Romuald Schild<br> Publications in archaeoastronomy and ancient Egyptian archaeology journals/books
Citations
[1] https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=22092 [2] https://humanoriginproject.com/nabta-playa-stone-circle/ [3] https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nabta-playa-stone-circle [4] https://www.astronomy.com/observing/nabta-playa-the-worlds-first-astronomical-site-was-built-in-africa-and-is-older-than-stonehenge/ [5] https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/nabtaplaya/ [6] https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/cog/ti/2014/00000016/00000001/art00008?crawler=true&mimetype=application%2Fpdf [7] https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2023/39/e3sconf_transsiberia2023_09002.pdf [8] https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/nabta-playa-the-worlds-first-astronomical-site-was-built-in-africa-and-is [9] https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/04/nabta-playa-the-lost-world-of-the-al-wadi-al-gadid-desert/143408 [10] https://thebrainchamber.com/nabta-playa-stone-circle/ [11] https://www.donsmaps.com/egypt1.html [12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabta_Playa [13] https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/journey-to-stonehenge-more-lessons-from-nabta-playa/ [14] https://www.crystalinks.com/nabtaplayastonecircle.html [15] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226354066_Astronomy_of_Nabta_Playa [16] https://kar.zcu.cz/studium/materialy/egy/texty-pro-studenty-2012/NabtaPlaya.pdf
Archive record
Other traditions of Egypt
The tradition lives on many forms.
