Nabta Playa: Cradle of Pre-Egyptian Civilization

Figure 1: Map of modern day Egypt and the location of Nabta Playa (circled in red at the bottom) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Today’s blog post will focus on the discoveries located at the African site of Nabta Playa, located 500 miles south of modern-day Cairo, Egypt (Figure 1).  You may not have heard of it previously, but this is one of the most important Old-World archaeological sites.  It is glorified for providing many of the world’s oldest cultural features, including the oldest man-made astronomical observatories, sorghum domestication, and potentially the foundations for later ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs. 

 

Nabta Playa was part of what the Egyptians called the Nubian Desert, a region located just south of the ancient Egyptian state.  It was first settled in 9000 BC by a group of nomadic pastoralists who may have been drawn to the site due to its natural resources.  This area of Africa was far different from the dry desert climate it is today as it was subject to consistent and seasonal rainfall that provided temporary but substantial lakes and water resources.  The site was developed over the next several thousands of years as the inhabitants constructed megalithic monuments, underground tombs, and various stelae and stone slabs.

 

The most notable megalithic structure identified at Nabta Playa was the large stone circle (Figure 2).  Originally identified by Fred Wendorf in 1973 and later excavated by Wendorf and Romuald Schild in the 1990s it was later determined that the stone circle was used as an early celestial observatory.  In fact, it remains the oldest celestial observatory ever created, beating out Stonehenge by several thousands of years.  The stones used in the megalithic structure aligned with specific stars of the Orion constellation, which is where the evidence of the celestial observatory purpose of the structure comes from.  This idea has also been supported by ethnoarchaeological research that shows that modern African groups utilize the stars for navigation purposes.

Figure 2: Megalithic Stone Circle at Nabta Playa, the world's oldest celestial observatory (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Additionally, the site has a series of large underground tombs.  While no human remains have been reported as being found at the site it has been reported that various domesticated animals, including sheep, goats, and aurochs, the ancestors to modern cows, were buried in these tombs.  It is unclear specifically why these animals were interred there (if it was for sacrifice or burial goods or another purpose), but these remains provide insights into early domestication practices that occurred at the site.  Based on current evidence it appears that the earliest animal domestication practices in Africa may have occurred here or in the region.  In addition, the earliest evidence of sorghum domestication in the world has been credited as occurring at this site, as well as potentially the earliest ceramic manufacture in Africa.

 

The residents of Nabta Playa occupied the site until approximately 5000-3000 BC.  It is believed that a series of droughts and changes from a wet to arid environment drove the Nabta Playa people from the site.  It is believed that they may have moved north, along the Nile, and became the ancestral populations to ancient Egyptians.  This hypothesis has not been fully vetted, but there are several parallels in the ideologies and material culture between early, Pre-Dynastic Egypt and Nabta Playa, thereby supporting the hypothesis.

 

Ultimately, the site of Nabta Playa provides a great deal of insights into early cultural history in Africa and among early human groups.  The level of ingenuity and creativity displayed in the artifacts and monumental architecture of the site demonstrates the greatness of early African people, whose innovations provided the foundations for other great civilizations that occurred after them.  This influence may have also inspired other groups outside of the African continent given the evidence to long distance trade at Nabta Playa, further demonstrating the impact of the Nabta Playa people.

 

References

Betz, E. (2020, June 20). Nabta Playa: The World's First Astronomical Site Was Built in Africa and Is Older Than Stonehenge. Discover Magazine.

Gillan, J. (2018, August 3). Nabta Playa and the Ancient Astronomers of the Nubian Desert . Retrieved from Ancient Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/nabta-playa-and-ancient-astronomers-nubian-desert-002954

The Human Origin Project. (2019, February 20). The Ancient Astronomy of the Nabta Playa Egyptian Stone Circle. Retrieved from Medium: https://medium.com/@humanoriginproject/the-ancient-astronomy-of-the-nabta-playa-egyptian-stone-circle-c8ecb2800223

Language as a Reflection of Social & Cultural Norms: Gender Inclusive Language

Today’s blog post is inspired by changing social and cultural trends that exist today.  These trends are moving toward more inclusivity and equity among groups.  While that is a very broad statement this blog post will focus on one specific aspect of these changes, focusing on the evolution and development of gender inclusive language.  This blog post will discuss what gender inclusive language is, how it has developed over the past several decades, as well as provide tips for the reader to incorporate gender inclusive language into their lexicon (vocabulary).

 

Gender inclusive, or gender neutral, language is the process of communicating in a non-discriminatory manner, specific to sex and gender, that does not exclude or promote a specific sex or gender over another.  Gender inclusive language has existed throughout the English language for generations, but it is more recently and formally acknowledged with the formation and use of the singular “they” in the 17^th century.  Even more recently throughout the 1960s through 1980s individuals put forth various linguistic initiatives to promote the use of gender inclusive language, specifically in the creation and formation of the term “Ms.”, as a formal title to address women without giving away their age or relationship status, and “Mx.”, a term referring to transgender or gender fluid individuals that remains popularly used and formally recognized in the United Kingdom. 

 

The reason why gender inclusive language is encouraged is because language is a key element of culture, and as such it carries with it the values, beliefs, and cultural attitudes that dominate and influence ideas and perceptions of individuals and groups.  Language can and does unwittingly promote various stereotypes, often times reinforcing harmful and false ideas about groups of people that are self-actualized by those individuals.  By using gender inclusive language a more inclusive and equitable environment can be created and fostered, providing individuals more opportunities and freedoms to explore who and/or what they are and can be. 

 

Incorporating gender inclusive language into one’s everyday language can be challenging, particularly when one has been enculturated into speaking (and thinking) a specific way, but it is not impossible.  Through purposeful language choices, which requires self-awareness of what one is saying and the implications of the meaning of those word choices and statements, one can make decisive decisions in word choice and control the conscious and unconscious narratives and meanings of what they are saying.  The following are some general tips to being more gender inclusive in one’s communication practices:

1.  Ask what people’s preferred names and pronouns are: this provides individuals the opportunity to express themselves, while also acknowledging their chosen gender identity (whatever that gender identity may be).
2. Treat men and women the same:  This encourages the use of formal titles as appropriate, specifically for all individuals.  It is widely identified that women often are overlooked for their achievements, whereas men are not, when it comes to formal titles (e.g. all female professors or doctors are Miss or Mrs, whereas male professors and doctors are Dr.).  In this same vein use consistent terminology regardless of gender, meaning refer to all men as men and all women as women, not boys and women or men and girls. 
3. Use gender neutral terms: Instead of saying “you guys” say “folks” and instead of saying “mankind” say “humans” or “human kind”.  This acknowledges that all genders are capable of doing or accomplishing the same things or all present within the group.  Also, using gender neutral terms, such as spouse or partner versus wife/husband or girlfriend/boyfriend, protects individuals privacy, particularly in cases where sexuality can and is used against someone. 
4. Listen to those around you regarding their concerns about gender inclusive language and gender generally:  It is important to acknowledge and be aware of the social and cultural environment you are in when speaking, and it is also important to realize and recognize that language and cultural ideals change.  Therefore, it is vital to keep up with and be informed of people’s thoughts, opinions, and beliefs on this matter.  This does not mean that one should excuse or accept hate or bigotry if and when it comes up.  Instead this refers to understanding and nurturing a more inclusive, equitable, and safe environment for all individuals.

Works Cited

Inscoe, J. What Is Gender-Inclusive Language And and Why Does It Matter? 29 May 2020. Electronic. 17 July 2020.

The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gender-Inclusive Language. 2020. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/gender-inclusive-language/. 17 July 2020.

United Nations. Gender-Inclusive Language. No Date. <https://www.un.org/en/gender-inclusive-language/>.