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Ancient astronomical observatory discovered in Kafr El-Sheikh

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Archaeologists have announced the discovery of an ancient astronomical observatory during excavations at the Tell El Fara’in archaeological site in Egypt’s Kafr El Sheikh governorate.

Tell El Fara’in is located between the Taly (Bolbitine) and Thermuthiac (Sebennytic) branches of the Nile, a few kilometres north of the east-west Butic River, along the southern shore of Butic Lake.

The city was a ceremonial centre in dedication to the goddess Wadjet, the matron and protector of Egypt.

Since 2017, archaeologists have been excavating the remains of the Buto temple, where recently they uncovered an ancient astronomical observatory from the 6th century BC.

According to a press statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the observatory is a mud brick construction which was used to observe and record the astronomical movements of celestial bodies.

Temple astrologers were particularly skilled in observing the stars, tracking the conjunctions and risings of the Sun, Moon, and planets, and monitoring the lunar phases. Astronomy also played a significant role in establishing the dates of religious festivals and determining the hours of the night.

The observatory features an L-shaped central hall constructed from mudbrick, resembling the pylon entrances of ancient Egyptian temples. It includes a stone platform adorned with engravings that depict the astronomical alignments of sunrise and sunset throughout the seasons.

Within the interior, archaeologists also found an inclined stone sundial (known as a shadow clock) which indicates time by using a light spot or shadow cast by the position of the Sun.

Ayman Ashmawy from the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities sector, said that the mission also uncovered several artefacts, including a statue from the 26th Dynasty, a merkhet measuring tool, and various religious items and pottery related to daily life and rituals.

According to the researchers, the observatory is the largest known example that provides new insights into the scientific and religious practices during antiquity.

Header Image Credit : Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Sources : Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities 

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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Archaeology

Sacred chapel destroyed during German Peasants’ War rediscovered

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Archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt have rediscovered the Mallerbach Chapel at the site of the Kaltenborn monastery.

Between 1524 to 1525, a large number of peasants, urban lower classes, and lesser nobles living in the German-speaking areas in Central Europe rebelled against a combination of economic, social, and religious factors. These include:

Economic hardship and inequality: Peasants faced heavy burdens from taxes, dues, and rents imposed by landlords, the church, and secular rulers.

Feudal oppression: Many peasants grew increasingly resentful of the limitations placed on their freedoms by feudal lords, including restrictions on hunting, fishing, and access to communal lands.

Religious influence: The Reformation inspired many peasants who saw in it a call for social and economic reform against a corrupt church.

Legal grievances: Peasants sought greater control over local governance and justice. They were frustrated by the arbitrary decisions made by their lords and demanded more influence over the laws and rules that governed their daily lives.

Image Credit : LDA

Following the outbreak of the Peasants’ War, insurgents from the nearby villages of Riestedt and Emseloh plundered the Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt in the German district of Mansfeld-Südharz, leading to the monastery’s decline and eventual dissolution in 1538.

According to a press statement by the LDA: “It’s destruction – an act of rebellion against the Cistercian convent of Naundorf, which was in charge of the Chapel of St. Mary and to which the Allstedt residents were subject to taxes – can be seen as the first flare-up and harbinger of the coming uprising of the ‘common man’ against the authorities.”

Recent excavations at the monastery site have located the 12th/13th century Mallerbach chapel, a sacred place of worship for pilgrims who came to witness a weeping image of the Virgin Mary.

Archaeologists have uncovered the original floor plan of the chapel, which measures around 17 metres in length with a rectangular choir and semicircular apse. Excavations have also found the altar foundations, as well as traces of burning from the time of the German Peasants’ War.

Header Image Credit : LDA

Sources : State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA)

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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Traces of ancient city that revolted against Rome uncovered

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Archaeologists have excavated the remains of Fregellae, an ancient city in central Italy that revolted against the Roman Republic.

Fregellae was founded during the 4th century BC near the present-day commune of Arce in the province of Frosinone. Due to the strategic location of the city, the Romans established a colony in 328 BC as a bulwark against Samnite incursions.

In 125 BC, the inhabitants of Fregellae revolted against Rome, demanding equal standing as Roman citizens. In response, Rome dispatched a force led by praetor Lucius Opimius, who swiftly suppressed the uprising and razed the city to the ground.

Archaeologists from the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) and the University of Trier have excavated the remains of an agricultural villa which belonged to the local elite within the extent of Fregellae.

Image Credit : Dominik Maschek

Based on archaeological evidence, the villa was constructed around AD 45 and produced wine, fruit and grain in a dedicated production complex.

Prof Dr Dominik Maschek, project manager at LEIZA, said: “The wine was probably not only produced for the local market. It is quite possible that it was traded within Mediterranean exchange networks as far as Spain and France. The cultivation of grain and fruit, on the other hand, was certainly intended for the local market.”

Excavations also revealed traces of the encampment used by the Roman forces that destroyed the city. The camp covered an area of 90 x 143 metres and was surrounded by a defensive rampart and ditch.

Archaeologists suggest that the destruction of Fregellae dealt a severe blow to the region’s economy, leaving the area uninhabited for more than 170 years until the site was reused as a rubbish dump in AD 50.

Header Image Credit : Dominik Maschek

Sources : Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA)

This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily

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