Hi All -

Update on Nabta Playa:

Author/Egyptologist Robert Bauval sent amateur archaeoastronomer Tom Brophy a link to our thread here recently - which included the info Hermione here got from archaeologist/excavators Wendorf and Schild regarding the work done at the site of Nabta Playa recently, and the Nubian museum at Aswan involvment.

Tom wrote an e-mail reply to Robert which Robert kindly copied to me, and which was a good analysis of the situation, and had some sound suggestions:

The first point is that there seems to be a consensus here about the seriousness of the situation - and while 'mismanagement' and 'scandal' are strong words, they could well be what are being used from now on.

Second point is that Tom has suggested that the site is re-visited again specifically to carefully establish the condition in light of the new information.

This, he has suggested, would require that GPS coordinates and the original detailed plans be matched up and taken to the site - then photographs of each part of the site can be taken and compared with older photographs of the same known parts of the site. There are two main complexes, designated 'A' and 'B', and as Tom pointed out regarding Robert's recent photographs, it's not entirely clear where he was taking the photos from, especially if the site has been substantially changed recently. As it is in the deep desert there are not a lot of permanent landmarks around - other than the stones themselves.

So the first thing to do is establish the current state of the site and how this differs from the 'usual' state of the site in recent years.

Robert has responded that he will be back in Cairo 3rd May and plans to go to Nabta Playa and the Nubian Museum in Aswan to find out what has happened.

He correctly points out the inconsistencies in the replies from the excavators, especially the statement that a replacement circle was put at the site by the museum...

This all seems extremely unlikely to say the least, so the time has come to find out exactly what is happening.

Whilst we are not officially responsible for the site, we are all morally responsible for it if it is being mismanaged and damaged.

Dave Light

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2008 05:46AM by Dave L.