Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be the first recorded ancient Egyptian astronomical observatory, a discovery they describe as both “the first and largest” of its kind.
This remarkable find was announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities following the work of an Egyptian archaeological team who unearthed the structure three years ago during excavations at Tell Al-Faraeen in the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, formerly known as the ancient city of Buto.
“Everything we discovered exceeded our expectations,” said Hossam Ghonim, the director general of Kafr El-Sheikh Antiquities and head of the Egyptian archaeological mission, in an interview.
The team uncovered the remnants of a vast L-shaped mud-brick building, covering over 9,150 square feet (850 square meters). The building’s entrance, facing east, was marked by a traditional gateway known as a pylon. This entrance led to a specific area where sunlight would have illuminated the spot where an observer, typically a priest known as ‘smn pe,’ stood to track celestial bodies, according to Ghonim.
Remarkably, the structure still features a carving of the smn pe figure facing the rising sun, symbolizing the deep connection ancient Egyptians had with the cosmos.
Initially, the team believed they had stumbled upon a temple. However, as the excavation progressed, they discovered artifacts and symbols—such as Chen, Cenet, and Benu—related to time and astronomy. The discovery of a large sundial, alongside other inscriptions and artifacts, ultimately led researchers to conclude that the structure was indeed an observatory, Ghonim explained.
“On the northern side of the hall, we uncovered a slanted stone sundial—a simple yet profound instrument that used the sun’s shadows to determine the time of day,” Ghonim said. This ancient timekeeping device, known as a sun shadow clock, helped the Egyptians determine sunrise, noon, and sunset. The team also discovered a “merkhet,” another ancient Egyptian timekeeping device from the sixth century B.C., at the site.
These findings offer significant insights into the astronomical techniques employed by ancient Egyptians to establish their solar calendar and determine dates for religious and official rituals, including royal coronations and the agricultural year, as stated by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Inside the hall, archaeologists found a stone inscribed with astronomical depictions of sunrise and sunset across three seasons. “The ancient Egyptians conceptualized the Earth and sky as two mats,” Ghonim explained. “They mapped the sky onto the ‘Themet Hrt’ (the sky mat) and the Earth onto the ‘Themet Ghrt’ (the earth mat), which represented their calendar and marked important events such as the Nile flood and harvest. This is the first inscribed stone mat of its kind ever discovered.”
These discoveries, along with other inscriptions, underscore the Egyptians’ sophisticated understanding of seasonal changes and the variations in daylight throughout the year.
Additionally, the archaeologists found a “triad of pillars” at the hall’s entrance—a highly unusual placement, as pillars in ancient Egyptian monuments are typically located at the end of a hall. This unique arrangement further suggests that the structure was not a temple, as previously assumed. “We theorize that these pillars might represent the ancient Egyptians’ tripartite division of time into seasons, months, and weeks,” Ghonim said.
Unlike traditional monuments, which usually feature a single pylon, this observatory had two pylons facing each other, framing the circular observation area and symbolizing “akhet,” the horizon where the sun rises. A nearby limestone watchtower, likely paired with another, was probably used for observing constellations, Ghonim added.
The excavation also revealed a statue of the falcon-headed god Horus. The depiction of Horus, along with an Eye of Horus, “embodies the systems of the universe and is linked to the sun, the moon, the god Horus, and the goddess Wadjet, the most important deities of Buto,” according to the Ministry’s statement.
In ancient times, Buto was dedicated to Wadjet, a serpent goddess known for her protection of the king. The analysis of the observatory adds further evidence of Wadjet’s significance in Buto, Ghonim said.
Within the observatory, archaeologists also found a gray granite statue of King Psamtik I from the Saite era (the 26th dynasty) and a bronze figure of Osiris, the god associated with the underworld and resurrection. The Osiris figure was depicted with a serpent, a reference to Wadjet.
These artifacts, alongside various pottery items used in religious rituals, date the observatory to the sixth century B.C. and highlight its dual role in both scientific study and spiritual practice, Ghonim concluded.
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