Nabta Playa was once a large
basin in the
Nubian Desert, located approximately 800 kilometers south of modern day
Cairo or about 100 kilometers west of
Abu Simbel in southern
Egypt, 22° 32' north, 30° 42' east. Today the region is characterized by numerous
archaeological sites.
Recent research
A 2007 article by a team of University archaeoastronomers and archaeologists (three members had been involved in the original discovery of the site and its astronomical alignment) has responded to the work of Brophy and Rosen, in particular their claims for an alignment with
Sirius in 6088 and other alignments which they dated to 6270, saying that these dates were about 1500 years earlier than the estimated dates. The Sirius alignment in question was originally proposed by Wendorf and Malville, for one of the most prominent alignments of megaliths labelled the "C-line", which they said aligned to the rising of Sirius circa 4820 BC. Brophy and Rosen showed in 2005 that megalith orientations and star positions reported by Wendorf and Malville were in error, noting that "Given these corrected data, we see that Sirius actually aligned with the C line circa 6000 BC. We estimate that 6088 BC Sirius had a declination of -36.51 deg, for a rising azimuth exactly on the C-line average". Malville acknowledged the corrections made by Brophy and Rosen, but concluded the C-line of megaliths "may not represent an original set of aligned stele; we refrain from interpreting that alignment."
They propose that the area was first used as what they call a 'regional ceremonial centre' around 6100 to 5600 BC with people coming from various locations to gather on ta dune on the playa where there is archaeological evidence for gatherings which involved large numbers of cattle bones, as cattle were normally only killed on important occasions. Around 5500 BC a new, more organised group began to use the site, burying cattle in clay-lined chambers and building other tumuli. Around 4800 BC a cromlech or stone circle was constructed, with narrow slabs approximately aligned with the summer solstice, near the beginning of the rainy season.
More complex structures followed during a megalith period the researchers dated to between about 4500 BC to 3600 BC. Using their original measurements and measurements by satellite and GPRS measurements by Brophy and Rosen they confirmed possible alignments with Sirius, Arcturus, Alpha Centauri and the Belt of Orion. They suggest that there are three pieces of evidence suggesting astronomical observations by the herdsmen using the site, which may have functioned as a necropolis. "The repetitive orientation of megaliths, stele, human burials and cattle burials reveals a very early symbolic connection to the north." Secondly, there is the orientation of the cromlech mentioned above. The third piece of evidence is the fifth millennium alignments of stele to bright stars.[
]
They conclude their report by writing that "The symbolism embedded in the archaeological record of Nabta Playa in the Fifth Millennium BC is very basic, focussed on issues of major practical importance to the nomads: cattle, water, death, earth, sun and stars."[
]
See also
List of archaeoastronomical sites sorted by country
Notes
References
Scientific American
University of Colorado at Boulder:
*1998 article
*1999 article
*2000 article
External links
Ancient Astronomy in Africa
Megalithic Astronomy at the Ceremonial Center of Nabta Playa
Late Neolithic megalithic structures at Nabta Playa (Sahara), southwestern Egypt. by Fred Wendorf
Category:African archaeology
Category:Archaeoastronomy
Category:Archaeological sites in Egypt
Category:Kush
