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Archaeologists found an ancient Egyptian observatory

Expedition leader: “Everything we found shattered our expectations.”…

The team found numerous smaller artifacts associated with ritualistic practices as well, such as a bronze statue of Osiris, amphorae covers, pottery, and a beaded necklace ( menat) often worn as a protective amulet. They also uncovered a large stone sundial used to determine sunrise, noon, and sunset, as well as an ancient Egyptian time-keeping artifact known as a merkhet —basically a bar with an attached plumb line typically used to track certain stars. "Everything we found shattered our expectations," Hossom Ghonim, head of the expedition and director-general of Kafr El-Sheikh Antiquities told Live Science, suggesting the site had a dual role as both a spiritual and a scientific place.

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