Nabta Playa, Egypt stone circle dated to ~5,000 BC may align with solstice and stars

July 07, 2026Archaeoastronomy

Source: Scientists Found Something Strange in the Sahara by Michael Button

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The Nabta Playa stone circle dates to ~5,000 BC — roughly 1,000 years before Stonehenge! In the late 1990s, astronomer Thomas Brophy proposed that six inner uprights align with summer solstice sunrise/sunset, while outlying megaliths may have mirrored constellations like Orion's Belt around 4,800 BC (his theory, still debated).

Key facts

The stone circle dates to approximately 5,000 BC, roughly 1,000 years before Stonehenge and 2,000 years before the Egyptian Old Kingdom
In the late 1990s, astronomer Thomas Brophy analyzed the stone circle's layout
The circle's six inner upright stones form two lines pointing toward sunrise and sunset at summer solstice
Brophy argued certain outlying megaliths aligned with prominent stars as they appeared around 4,800 BC, including Orion's Belt
Stone circles include paired upright slabs called 'gates' or 'windows' oriented to frame specific sightlines