Astronomical Orientations of the Great Enclosure of Musawwarat Es Sufra

Abstract

Here we propose the use of Stellarium and Photographer’s Ephemeris software to test a possible astronomical orientation of the Great Enclosure of Musawwarat es Sufra, in the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush. Using the Photographer’s Ephemeris, we can see that the central part of the enclosure is aligned perfectly along the southern direction of the moonrise on a major lunar standstill, whereas the norther part of the enclosure has an orientation along the sunrise on the winter solstice. Besides the simulations, a discussion is also given about the plausibility of solar and lunar orientations.

Keywords: Archaeoastronomy, Winter Solstice, Major Lunar Standstill, Standstill of Venus, Stellarium, Photographer’s Ephemeris, Satellite Images