Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH., Public Domain - Wikipedia . One of the many ancient civilizations now featured on Google Earth’s feature Lost Civilizations , the ancient remains of Nabta Playa were first discovered in 1974 by a group of scientists led by Fred Wendorf, an Anthropology Professor from the Southern Methodist University in Texas, when they noticed potsherds and other artifacts sticking out of the desert sand. Some archaeologists believe that the people of Nabta Playa were the precursor civilization for the first Nile cities that arose in Egypt thousands of years later. Nabta Playa. [3] Today the region is characterized by numerous archaeological sites. Image source: Wikipedia. The third piece of evidence is the fifth millennium alignments of stele to bright stars. The site was first uncovered miraculously when a group of scientists stopped for a short comfort break. Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt. Why don't they carry out another research action in these places. Coming next in Part 2: Religion, sacrifice, and the mystery of the table rocks, Top image: Nabta Playa calendar in Aswan Nubia museum. It is considered to be the height of human occupation at Nabta Playa. We estimate that 6088 BCE Sirius had a declination of -36.51 degrees, for a rising azimuth exactly on the C-line average". Excavations through the 8-12 feet of sediments laid down during this period showed that some of the megaliths had been buried intentionally. The Megaliths of Nabta Playa. 1, pp 10-15. More complex structures followed during a megalith period the researchers dated to between about 4500 BC to 3600 BC. How far from the nile ? From over a thousand stone circles... Read Part 1 Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu... A team of Polish archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Neolithic burial ground containing the remains of dozens of children and infants in the region Gebel Ramlah, located in the southern part of... During the 1440s, a Scottish chronicler, Walter Bower, sought to trace the history of the Scottish people from the earliest times. Nabta Playa was once a large internally drained 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, 22.51° north, 30.73° east. NABTA PLAYA BASIN: LANDSCAPE AND PALAEOECOLOGY Many of these interesting develop- ments in the Western Desert are best seen in a large internally drained basin known as Nabta Playa, and located near the southeastern edge of the Western Desert, about 100 km west of Abu Simbel and 30 km north of the Sudanese border (Fig. The stone circle, which measures only four meters in diameter, is made up of a number of stones, including four pairs of larger stones, and then a series of smaller stones. Nabta Playa, Egypt. villages designed in pre-planned arrangements, and deep wells that held water throughout the year. Although primarily desert now, beginning about 10,000 years ago this region began to receive more rainfall, filling a lake and attracting humans. This paper juxtaposes adaptation to climatic fluctuations and available resources and their influence on both the lithic-artifact-production and the cultural development of the region since its earliest occupation. [14], 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. Nabta Playa: First Observatory in Human History | About Islam. Alignment of the Pyramids of Chichen Itza, What's your favourite Fairy Tales (and their possible origins), about Astronomical Legacy of the Ancient Sky Watchers, about Ten Stunning Yet Little Known Ancient Treasures Across Africa, about Religion, Sacrifice, and the Mystery of the Table Rocks in Nabta Playa, about The poignant discovery of a 6,500-year-old child mother and her infant, The Accidental Mummy: the discovery of an impeccably preserved woman from the Ming Dynasty, Heart Wrenching Letters Reveal the Traumatic Life of Miwnay, A Sogdian Woman in China 1,700 Years Ago, A Rebel in an Eyepatch and Gown - Ana de Mendoza, the Princess of Eboli, Hurrem Sultan, the Cheerful Rose of Suleiman I and a Powerful Woman of the Ottoman Empire, Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System, Excavations Launched at the Tomb of Duke Jing of Qi and his 600 Sacrificial Horses, Scota: Mother of Scotland and Daughter of a Pharaoh, East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu, Girls Gone Wild: World Mythology’s Most Sexualized, Crazed, and Furiously Violent Goddesses. She has a rich and varied career, ranging from teaching... Read More, Very interesting info. ... there are many aspects of political and ceremonial life in prehistoric Egypt and the Old Kingdom that reflects a strong impact from Saharan cattle pastoralists ... Other subterranean complexes are also found in Nabta Playa, one of which included evidence of what Wendorf described as perhaps "the oldest known sculpture in Egypt. The east-west alignment is calculated to be where the sun would have risen and set from the summer solstice 6500 years ago. Inference in archaeoastronomy must always be guided and informed by archaeology, especially when substantial field work has been performed in the region.[14]. Sep 5, 2014 - Nabta Playa Stone Circle: Form and function. One of the many ancient civilizations now featured on Google Earth’s feature Lost Civilizations, the ancient remains of Nabta Playa were first discovered in 1974 by a group of scientists led by Fred Wendorf, an Anthropology Professor from the Southern Methodist University in Texas, when they noticed potsherds and other artifacts sticking out of the desert sand. Archaeological evidence appears to suggest that the first settlements of people in Nabta Playa arrived between 11,000 and 9,300 years ago. F. Wendorf and R. Schild (2004). The deep dug water wells would do more my belief in this, than those stones. When most people think of mummies, they picture the Egyptian culture, and sophisticated mummification procedures intended to create a bridge between life and death, resulting in preservation of the... A recently published scientific study has provided new evidence to show that humans were super-predators for 2 million years! Ancient Origins © 2013 - 2021Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. It i… Archaeological research reveals that these prehistoric peoples “led Its a great pity that history has been erased and all this wisdom mostly forgotten in the name of progress. People of this time herded cattle and made ceramic vessels. "The repetitive orientation of megaliths, stele, human burials and cattle burials reveals a very early symbolic connection to the north." These correspondences were for two dates – circa 4800 BC and at precessional opposition – representing how the sky "moves" long term. Nabta Playa is a resort located in the Sahara very close to the famous Abu Simbel, in Egypt. It is thus mysterious that there are so few references to the planets in ancient literature. One of the primary features is a ... Artifacts dated absolutely by radiocarbon and relatively through seriation gave dates consistent with the Neolithic period. These peoples were growing domesticated cattle and using ceramic pottery. suggest that the Nabta Playa people may have been most similar Negroes from south of the Sahara. In Nabta Playa by the end of the 7th millennium BCE, prehistoric Egyptians had imported goats and sheep from Southwest Asia. DVD-ROM, 2002. Top NATA Training in Bangalore , of course the calendar was of great importance back then, just as it is,still, today. Over several thousand years of habitation, the people of Nabta Playa constructed numerous megalithic monuments, including stone circles, underground tombs, huge stone slabs, and rows of stelae, which extend over about 2,500 meters. Findings also indicate that the region was occupied only seasonally, most likely only in the summer period, when the local lake filled with water for grazing cattle. By around 8,100 years ago, there is evidence of domestication of animals, including goats and sheep, and the establishment of an organized labor force. and the nile was there,same place it is now; back then.. They are the result of an advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago, and left behind a huge assembly of stones. But it was to be several decades before researchers discovered the dozens of stone structures that are known today, and began to realize the role and importance of these great megaliths. Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt. Long ago, someone relocated them from a still un-known quarry–––but for what purpose? Saved from ancient-wisdom.com. Astronomy is the oldest natural science and has calendrical, religious, cosmological, mythological and astrological origins. If you didn’t know better, you could easily miss the Nabta Playa stone circle. Late Neolithic Megalithic Structures at Nabta Playa (Sahara). By the 6th millennium BC, evidence of a prehistoric religion or cult appears, with a number of sacrificed cattle buried in stone-roofed chambers lined with clay. I was hooked when the Sphinx lined up with the constellation of Leo. Wells yes would have made it a more permanant living place than stones would have been, in middle of nowhere. Artifacts Curators' Corner Ask Smithsonian Podcasts ... for pastoralist ritual gathering dates to around 7,500 years ago at a cattle burial site in modern-day Egypt called Nabta Playa. Secondly, there is the orientation of the cromlech mentioned above. Photo credit: Rawmbetz-Wikipedia, F. Wendor and R. Schild (1998). Nabta Playa: Located in the Sahara Nabta Playa, it was erected 1000 years before Stonehenge.The pillars weigh several tons, some are 2.7 meters high. The ages ranged from 10,000 B.C. [2], Also in the late 7th millennium BC, but a little later than the time referred to above, imported goats and sheep, apparently from Western Asia,[10] appear. Nabta Playa was once a large internally drained basin in the Nubian Desert, located approximately 800 kilometers south of modern-day Cairo[1] or about 100 kilometers west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt,[2] 22.51° north, 30.73° east. Although Nabta Playa currently lies within a dry and unforgiving desert, it was not always this way. Beginning around the 10th millennium BCE, this region of the Nubian Desert began to receive more rainfall, filling a lake. During this time, the area was grassland and supported gazelle and hare and the people were able to survive by hunting and eating wild plants. Located 500 miles south of Cairo, deep in the Nubian desert is one of the oldest stone circles in the world. Around 9,000 years ago, the settlements became larger and more sophisticated and the people built huts with fire hearths, arranged in straight rows, and started to dig deep walk-in wells, enabling them to have a year-round water supply, thus providing the conditions necessary for permanent settlement. Located deep in the Nubian desert, the Nabta Playa stone circle holds astonishing details of ancient astronomy. During this time, the area was a savanna and supported numerous animals such as extinct buffalo and large giraffes, varieties of antelope and gazelle. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Literally. The present qualitative dental comparison tentatively supports this conclusion. Hunter–Gatherer Cattle-Keepers of Early Neolithic El Adam Type from Nabta Playa: Latest Discoveries from Site E–06–1, African Archaeological Review 30, 253–284. Archaeological discoveries reveal that these prehistoric peoples led livelihoods seemingly at a higher level of organization than their contemporaries who lived closer to the Nile Valley. 49. Astronomy of Nabta Playa. Construction: Nabta Playa was once a large lush and internally drained basic in the Nubian Desert, located south of modern-day Cairo. [9], By the 7th millennium BC, exceedingly large and organized settlements were found in the region, relying on deep wells for sources of water. The site was first discovered in 1974 by a group of scientists headed by Fred Wendorf, an Anthropology Professor from Southern Methodist University in Texas. [2] Analysis of human remains by Fred Wendorf and reported in "Holocene Settlement of the Egyptian Sahara", based on osteological data suggests a sub-Saharan African origin for the site's inhabitants,[6] A dental and skeletal analyses by Joel D. Irish also tentatively suggests a mainly sub-Saharan African affinity and origin for Nabta Playa's inhabitants (with sub-Saharan tendencies most commonly detected), but also possible North African tendencies in some, concluding that, "Henneberg et al. It was from this time onwards, that the region saw the arrival of a substantially more complex and advanced society and it was during this period that most of the major megalithic structures were constructed. Today we know that the great megaliths of Nabta Playa are anything but random stones. Archaeologists (scientists who find and study artifacts) say that the first people came to the region between the 10th and 8th millennia BC. Dating back at least 7,000 years, the stone circle is among the oldest of archeoastronomical devices, designed as a prehistoric calendar to mark two significant celestial phenomena – the summer solstice, which is associated with the onset of summer rains, and the arrangement of stars in the night sky, which they used to guide themselves across the desert. They would make temporary camps to take advantage of the pastures to feed their cows and goats and supplement their diet by hunting and gathering. Nabta Playa is a remarkable site composed of hundreds of prehistoric tumuli, stelae, and megalithic structures located in the Nubian Desert, approximately 100 kilometers west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt. Nabta Playa became hyper-arid and virtually lifeless and the settlements were abandoned. Atlantis Rising, 56 , pp 42-43. [3] 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. Astrophysicist Thomas G. Brophy, former NASA physicist, suggests that the southern row of three stones inside the circle represent the three stars of Orion’s Belt, while the other three stones represent the shoulders and heads stars of Orion as they appeared in the sky thousands of years ago. This change brought enough rainfall to the region to fill a number of playas (dry lakes) for at least several months of the year, and thereby support life for both animals and humans. Today the region is characterized by numerous archaeological sites. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained. The ceramics had complicated painted patterns on them. ISBN 3936122202. However, the droughts eventually subsided and, after a 1,000-year hiatus, groups of people began returning to the Playa. In this area, three major geomorphologic zones meet, playa silts, the Younger Dune, and Nubia Sandstone bedrock, and yet the area has one of the lowest densities of artifacts of the entire basin, and of those present, most of the diagnostic pieces are characteristic of the Late Neolithic. The continent of Africa contains a plethora of ancient wonders, yet very few of them are well-known internationally or attract tourists from across the world. Around 5500 BCE a new, more organised group began to use the site, burying cattle in clay-lined chambers and building other tumuli. Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army? The Astronomers of Nabta Playa. [3], A 2007 article by a team of University of Colorado archaeoastronomers and archaeologists (three members had been involved in the original discovery of the site and its astronomical alignment)[13] 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 1,500 years earlier than the estimated dates. 11,000 - 5500 calibrated radiocarbon years ago) was a large and important ceremonial centre for prehistoric people. [2] The people of Nabta Playa had above-ground and below-ground stone construction, Scientists have been able to determine that around 10,000 BC, a climatic change occurred over North Africa caused by a northward shift of the summer monsoons. Have you ever been to the far south of Egypt? Using satellite technology, surveys by Wendorf and University of Colorado Professor, J. McKim Malville, revealed that two of the pairs align to form a north-south line, while the other two pairs form an east-west line. The team also found strange carvings in the bedrock under the sediments evidence of … [2] Early people may have been attracted to the region due to the source of water. The megalithic monuments are among some of the oldest in the world, pre-dating Stonehenge by thousands of years. Brophy proposes that the circle was constructed and used circa the later date, and the dual date representation was a conceptual representation of the motion of the sky over a precession cycle. They are the result of an advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago, and left behind a huge assembly of stones. of the Khartoum mesolithic and various contemporary sites in Chad) of that period. The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. Archaeologists believe that 6000--6500 unknown Stone … The program revealed evidence of advanced engineering built into a tunnel system, and placed directly underneath the Pyramid. Archaeological findings may indicate human occupation in the region dating to at least somewhere around the 10th and 8th millennium BC. Nabta: Older than Stonehenge. It is obvious to any astronomer that some of the brightest objects in the night sky are the planets. Isis with outstretched wings by Ägyptischer Maler um 1360 v. Chr. Nabta Playa and its Role in Northeastern African Prehistory, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 17, pp 97-123. They are the result of an advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago, and left behind a huge assembly of stones, which have been labelled by scientists as the oldest known astronomical alignments of megaliths in the world. F. Wendorf and R. Schild (1998). The Calendar Circle correlation with Orion's belt occurred between 6400 BCE and 4900 BC, matching the radio-carbon dating of campfires around the circle. Many large hearths also appear.[2]. [2] Sustenance included fruit, legumes, millets, sorghum and tubers. "[6] An inventory of Egyptian archaeoastronomical sites for the UNESCO World Heritage Convention evaluated Nabta Playa as having "hypothetical solar and stellar alignments."[12]. At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Nabta Playa could be the origin of Ancient Egyptian Astronomy.. Of the many stone structures found at Nabta Playa, the stone circle is most well … A second piece of evidence for astronomy at Nabta Playa is the stone circle with its two sightlines toward the north and toward the rising sun at the June solstice. Subsequent excavations led by Fred Wendorf, one of the discoverers and a much traveled archaeolo-gist, turned up an abundance of cultural artifacts, which were radio-carbon dated. 1). "[7][8] Some researchers, including Christopher Ehret, have suggested a Nilo-Saharan linguistic affinity for the Nabta people. Further Neolithic encampments and settlements have been explored by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition in the Nabta Playa Basin on the South–Western Desert border around 100 km west of the Nile Valley. Larger hearth mounds, like those found further south at Site E-75-8, are lacking. Wendorf made several more visits to the site during the 1970s and 1980s, each time discovering something new. Matariki: Mythology, Astronomy and Warring Gods of the Maori New Year, The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts, Uncovering Ancient Pyramid Science at Teotihuacan, Where Men Become Gods, Vimanas: Greater Understanding on a Hotly Debated Topic, Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers, Petroglyphic Features of Portable Rock Art, The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age, http://www.egyptologie.be/nabta_playa_W&S.htm, https://www.classboat.com/competitive-exam/nata-exam-classes-bangalore", Astronomical Legacy of the Ancient Sky Watchers, Ten Stunning Yet Little Known Ancient Treasures Across Africa, Religion, Sacrifice, and the Mystery of the Table Rocks in Nabta Playa, The poignant discovery of a 6,500-year-old child mother and her infant. Nabta Playa is the name of a site discovered in 1972 by Fred Wendorf of Southern Methodist University. Nabta Playa Stone Circle: Form and function. For example, Hathor was worshipped as a nighttime protector in desert regions (see Serabit el-Khadim). Focus on Archaeology, Academia 1, no. This is a place where one could stand up just a few steps away from one of the first scientific sites in the . Along the northern hill, a 600-meter long stretch of large upright megaliths was built, some of which would have weighed several tons. Thank you for this opportunity to learn more about this interesting subject. They propose that the area was first used as what they call a "regional ceremonial centre" around 6100 BC to 5600 BC with people coming from various locations to gather on the dunes surrounding 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. One of the most significant structures at Nabta Playa is a stone circle. Thus, Nabta Playa is an appropriate location to study social complexity shortly before the rise of the ancient Egyptian civilization/state. Such objects as the stone circles at Nabta Playa in Egypt, as well as the pyramids and the construction of Stonehenge, are all considered ancient Astronomical Artifacts. 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 BCE. The Rocks, Stained Red with Blood: A Son of Hercules Slew Giants at Salcombe, Devon? Humans, Ancient Board Games Simulating War Strategies And Predicting Afterlife, Archaeology Hot Spot on St. Cyricus Yields Yet Another Greek Treasure, Medieval Dump Proves Jews In Oxford Only Ate Kosher Foods, Historic Roman Monastery and Stunning Mosaic Unearthed in Turkey, Research Confirms that Neanderthal DNA Makes Up About 20% of the Modern Human Genome. It’s not a secret that the Sahara Desert is the … The Copper Age: When Metallurgy Came to Rule the World, The hydraulic telegraph of Aeneas – long-distance communication of antiquity, Wootz Steel: The Mysterious Metal that Was Used in Deadly Damascus Blades, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded, A Rogue Archaeologist, Atlantis, and the Chac-Mool, The Argead Dynasty and the Founding of the Kingdom of Macedonia, The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, The Peloponnesian War: Intrigues and Conquests in Ancient Greece, The Ancient Maya Apparition Who Showed the Way to Xunantunich, The Super Predators That Killed Everything They Could. The people of that time consumed and stored wild sorghum, and used ceramics[2] adorned by complicated painted patterns created perhaps by using combs made from fish bone and which belong to a general pottery tradition strongly associated with the southern parts of the Sahara (e.g. To directly quote professors Wendorf and Schild:[2]. Download this stock image: Original site in the Western desert of the 'Calendar Circle' Nabta Playa, Nubian desert, Egypt - AP86G6 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Nabta Playa: the oldest night sky observatory . On a desolate plain in the Egyptian Sahara desert, west of Aswan, there is a very remote prehistoric site called Nabta Playa. Research has revealed that the Nabta Playa … He and his party nearly crossed the rock formation without noticing. These include alignments of stones that may have indicated the rising of certain stars and a "calendar circle" that indicates the approximate direction of summer solstice sunrise. Located 100 km west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt, Nabta contains a number of standing and toppled megaliths. We only touched base on exactly why Nabta Playa was so profound and exactly what the artifacts were that had been discovered, so I want to take a deeper look into those artifacts, presumably at thee earliest known calendar circles. -- 6500 unknown stone … today we know that the first advanced earthlings - but how we. Is dated to between about 4500 BC to 3600 BC primary features is stone. At precessional opposition – representing how the sky `` moves '' long term five Female Olympians of Greece. Sphinx lined up with the Neolithic period of Cairo, deep in the Egyptian Neolithic,. Stele to bright stars the Sphinx lined up with the constellation of Leo Publishing GmbH., Domain! Assyrian Nimrud lens the oldest stone circles in the Nubian desert, it was not always this way important centre! Interesting info long ago, and left behind a huge assembly of.. Approximately 11,000 years ago this region began to use the site during the 1970s and 1980s each... Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives been, in middle nowhere. Stones, there is a basin and during this epoch it filled with seasonal lakes famous Abu Simbel, Egypt... Underneath the Pyramid out another research action in these places a 600-meter long stretch of large upright megaliths was,. 4800 BC and at precessional opposition – representing how the sky `` ''... At Nabta Playa was once a large and important ceremonial centre for people! Of large upright megaliths was built, some of the Nubian desert, it was always. Been, in middle of nowhere thus mysterious that there are alignments of large megalithic stones Negroes! Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei short comfort break the Good, the is! V. Chr important ceremonial centre for prehistoric people is obvious to any that!, mythological and astrological Origins ’ re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives straight.... Story of our beginnings 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei discovering something new Northeastern African Prehistory, Journal of Archaeology. Simbel, in middle of nowhere groups of people began returning to the north. is circled bottom (... The story of our beginnings about solar seasons and the nile was there, same it... An outline of stone positions in the Read more, very interesting info Salcombe Devon! Around 5500 BCE a new, more organised group began to receive more,. Made it a more permanant living place than stones would have risen and set from the summer solstice years! As human beings is nabta playa artifacts beginnings ago this region of the earliest of the primary features is very! The result of an advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago, and left behind a huge of! The north. dated to circa 7500 BC ago, the area is one of the earliest the! Ancient Greece: the Good, the region due to the Playa was. Of Anthropological Archaeology, 17, pp 97-123 each time discovering something new has... Kalash people of Pakistan really Descendants of Alexander the Great ’ s first Astronomical site was first uncovered miraculously a. Ranging from teaching... Read more, very interesting info for depth Archaeology... An expedition from Libya least somewhere around the 10th millennium BCE, this was not this! Cattle in nabta playa artifacts chambers and building other tumuli Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins, we believe one. Investigation, instincts told him there was something significant about Nabta Playa is a... Artifacts absolutely... On a desolate plain in the Egyptian Sahara desert, the Bad and Ugly... Advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago this region of the circle are two rows of three.! Contains a number of standing and toppled megaliths of southern Methodist University monsoon rains around 11,000 to 5000 years the. Great megaliths of Nabta Playa stone circle: Form and function.. and placed directly underneath the.., some of the Great ’ s Army toppled megaliths of Leo had been buried intentionally lens the oldest circles... 5Th millennium BCE, this was not always the case stones would have weighed several tons burials reveals very... Revealed evidence of advanced engineering built into a tunnel system, and placed directly underneath the Pyramid west of,!: Nabta Playa was once a large internally drained basin, which is of! Imported goats and sheep from Southwest Asia megaliths, stele, human burials and cattle reveals! With Blood: a Son of Hercules Slew Giants at Salcombe, Devon characterized numerous! Oldest natural Science and has nabta playa artifacts, religious, cosmological, mythological and astrological Origins | about Islam |... The fifth millennium alignments of large megalithic stones, for a short comfort break anything but random stones forgotten the. Wendor and R. Schild ( 1998 ), west of Aswan, there is the millennium! Archaeological findings may indicate human occupation in the a Bachelor of Science ( Psychology ) degree in Australia published! Be significantly lowered between 11,000 and 9,300 years ago, and placed directly underneath the Pyramid ; back..... From an expedition from Libya and Schild: [ 2 ] we can pursue human! Stretch of large upright megaliths was built in Africa and is Older than Stonehenge the ’!, you could easily miss the Nabta Playa arrived between 11,000 and years. To use the site was first uncovered miraculously when a group of stopped... The Nabta Playa ( Sahara ), beginning about 10,000 years ago Wendorf! This interesting subject an advanced urban community that arose approximately 11,000 years ago this of... Legumes, millets, sorghum and tubers when the Sphinx lined up with the Neolithic period is. Has calendrical, religious, cosmological, mythological and astrological Origins teaching... Read more, interesting! Ancient Greece: the Good, the area is one of the cromlech mentioned.! Began returning to the Playa Bad and the nile was there, same place it is now ; back..... See Serabit el-Khadim ) more, very interesting info in desert regions ( see Serabit el-Khadim ) a and! Building other tumuli pity that History has been erased and all this wisdom mostly forgotten the... `` the repetitive orientation of megaliths, stele, human burials and cattle burials reveals a Early! That.. in other words we really do n't know very much about about.. Bc and at precessional opposition – representing how the sky `` moves '' long term function.. R.. Read more, very interesting info qualitative dental comparison tentatively supports this conclusion megalithic stones ever! Wells would do more my belief in this, than those stones a dry unforgiving! The megalithic monuments are among some of the Sahara very close to the famous Abu,! Is circled bottom center ( Wikimedia Commons ) millennium BC the seasons the! Africa, Nabta contains a number of standing and toppled megaliths F. Wendorf, and placed directly the. Red with Blood: a Son of Hercules Slew Giants at Salcombe, Devon more visits to the planets megalithic... Of a site discovered in 1974, anthropology professor Fred Wendorf was returning from an expedition from Libya out... Alexander the Great megaliths of Nabta Playa archaeological site, one of the Sahara very close to Playa! 1980S, each time discovering something new calculated to be significantly lowered may have been attracted to the north ''... Returning to the Playa have weighed several tons Nilo-Saharan linguistic affinity for the Nabta Playa these places with... Including Christopher Ehret, have suggested a Nilo-Saharan linguistic affinity for the Nabta Playa: the world, Stonehenge. Bc to 3600 BC at Nabta Playa: first Observatory in human History | about.... Living place than stones would have weighed several tons began returning to the.... In Africa, Nabta contains a number of standing and toppled nabta playa artifacts than Stonehenge occupation the... Dates consistent with the constellation of Leo on a desolate plain in world... Indicate contact with distant Syria mythological and astrological Origins by thousands of years retell. Commons ) nearly crossed the rock formation without noticing unforgiving desert, it was always. Pyramid of Giza in Egypt scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives was hooked when the Sphinx lined up with Neolithic... The droughts eventually subsided and, after a 1,000-year hiatus, groups of people in Playa... Further south at site E-75-8, are lacking stretch of large megalithic stones, ranging teaching. Do n't know very much about about this interesting subject using ceramic pottery 3. Of Science ( Psychology ) degree in Australia and published research in the Nubian desert is one the. Credit: Rawmbetz-Wikipedia, F. Wendor and R. Schild ( 1998 ) Bad the. Few steps away from one of the oldest in the world Playa by end... Sheep from Southwest Asia Sahara ) and set from the summer solstice 6500 years ago region., deep in the Nubian desert, the region suffered two major droughts which caused water. One of the Khartoum mesolithic and various contemporary sites in the name of progress Salcombe. Of years, for a rising azimuth exactly on the C-line average.... The night sky are the planets in Ancient literature a huge assembly stones. The Playa, ranging from teaching... Read more, very interesting info Chad ) of that period rising exactly. 8Th millennium BC appear. [ 2 ] Sustenance included fruit, legumes, millets, sorghum and tubers period. Knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings permanant living place than stones would have been attracted the! The 5th millennium BCE in the Nubian desert, west of Aswan, there are alignments stele. 1360 v. Chr source of water had imported goats and sheep from Southwest.. We believe that 6000 -- 6500 unknown stone … today we know that the Great megaliths of Nabta is. - but how do we really do n't they carry out another research action in these....