'Everything we found shattered our expectations': Archaeologists discover 1st astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt

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An Egyptian archaeological team found the remains of a structure dating back to the 6th century BC during digs at an archaeological site in the ancient city of Buto, which is now known as Tell Al-Faraeen, in the Kafr El-Sheikh region of Egypt.

"Everything we discovered completely overturned our expectations," Hossam Ghonim, director general of Kafr El-Sheikh Antiquities and head of the Egyptian archaeological mission, said to Live Science.

The team discovered the remains of an L-shaped mud-brick building covering an area of more than 850 square metres. Its east-facing entrance, marked by a traditional gateway called a pylon, leads to a spot where sunlight would have shone on the spot where the sky observer, known as 'smn pe', a priest, would normally stand to track the sun and stars, Ghonim explained.

The structure still has a carving of a person facing the rising sun. This figure represents the ancient Egyptians' link to the cosmos, Ghonim stated.

Related: Ancient zodiac paintings on an Egyptian temple are finally being displayed after lying undisturbed for 2,200 years.

Initially, the team believed they had stumbled upon a temple. However, as the excavation continued, they uncovered relics and inscribed symbols, such as Chen, Cenet and Benu, which were connected to time and astronomy, Ghonim stated. It was the discovery of a massive sundial, accompanied by various inscriptions, artefacts and the building's layout, that ultimately led researchers to conclude that this structure was in fact an observatory, Ghonim explained.

"On the hall's northern side, we found a slanted stone sundial - a sun shadow clock that used the changing angles of the sun's shadows to tell the time for sunrise, noon and sunset - a straightforward yet ingenious method," Ghonim pointed out, adding that initially, archaeologists thought the clock was a temple gate. The team also discovered an ancient Egyptian timekeeping device called a "merkhet", dating back to the 6th century BC, at the site.

utilised by the ancient Egyptians to establish the solar calendar and the timing of religious and official ceremonies, such as the inauguration of kings and the start of the agricultural year, as stated.

Mats and pillars

Inside the building, the archaeologists discovered a stone slab with inscriptions showing astronomical scenes of sunrise and sunset over the course of three seasons.

The ancient Egyptians viewed the Earth and sky as two distinct entities," Ghonim said. "They charted the sky on the 'Themet Hrt' – the celestial mat – and the 'Themet Ghrt,' or terrestrial mat, depicted their calendar, noting events such as the flooding of the Nile and harvest time. This is the first inscribed stone mat of its kind to be found.

These discoveries, along with other inscriptions, contribute to the evidence that the ancient Egyptians had a profound grasp of seasonal changes and fluctuations in daylight hours.

Archaeologists also discovered a "triad of pillars" at the entrance to the hall - an unusual arrangement as the typical structure of ancient Egyptian monuments feature pillars at the end of the hall. This unusual placement of pillars indicates that it is not a temple, as previously believed. "We speculated that these pillars might symbolise the ancient Egyptians' division of time into seasons, months, and weeks," Ghonim said.

The ancient pyramid of Akhet is situated at the eastern extremity, or the point on the horizon where the sun rises. Facing this pyramid was a limestone watchtower, which was probably once part of a pair and used to observe the stars and constellations, Ghonim explained.

The excavation also uncovered 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, Horus the god, and Wadjet the goddess, the most important gods of Buto," according to the statement.

, Ghonim said.

A deity associated with the underworld and resurrection, and linked with a serpent, similar to the goddess Wadjet. These relics, accompanied by a range of pottery items used in religious ceremonies, indicate that the observatory dates back to the sixth century B.C. and highlights its dual purpose in scientific inquiry and spiritual practice, Ghonim said.