Archaeologist Fred Wendorf discovers prehistoric Nabta Playa, Egypt site in southern Egypt (1974). American archaeologist Fred Wendorf discovered the site in 1974 while leading a survey team through the western desert of southern Egypt, near the Sudanese border Site is a dry lake basin (playa) that once held a seasonal lake Surface debris included pottery, animal bones, and stone tools indicating repeated human occupation over thousands of years
In 1974, American archaeologist Fred Wendorf discovered Nabta Playa while surveying Egypt's western desert near the Sudanese border. This ancient dry lake basin holds pottery, bones, and stone tools spanning back to ~7500 BC — plus multi-ton standing stones, stone circles, and cattle burials. Remarkable find!
Key Facts
- American archaeologist Fred Wendorf discovered the site in 1974 while leading a survey team through the western desert of southern Egypt, near the Sudanese border
- Site is a dry lake basin (playa) that once held a seasonal lake
- Surface debris included pottery, animal bones, and stone tools indicating repeated human occupation over thousands of years
- Site's occupation stretches back to approximately 10,000 BC
- Features include standing stones weighing several tons, stone circles, and cattle burials
Related site: Nabta Playa, Egypt — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
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