Sabu Disk

[David]

TheSabu disk is an ancient Egyptian artifact from the First Dynasty, c. 3000 to 2800 BC. It was found in 1936 in the north of the Saqqara necropolis in mastaba S3111, the grave of the ancient Egyptian official Sabu after whom it is named. The function and meaning of the carefully crafted natural stone vessel are unclear.

The artifact, made of schist (a term previously used in Egyptology for weakly metamorphic siltstone[2]), is in the shape of a shallow bowl with a diameter of 61 centimetres (24 in) and a maximum height of 10.6 cm (4.2 in). There is a central hole with a diameter of about 8 cm (3.1 in), which is fitted with a socket whose height corresponds approximately to the depth of the bowl. From the slightly raised outer edge, three wings or lobes are folded inwards towards the central hole, with the outer edge remaining in the form of narrow arches that connect the non-folded parts with each other. When viewed from above, it therefore resembles a steering wheel with three very wide spokes.[3]

Sabu's grave was discovered on January 19, 1936, by the British archaeologist Walter Bryan Emery. It is a mastaba tomb that consists of seven chambers. In Room E, the central burial chamber, the disk was found in a central location right next to Sabu's skeleton, which was originally buried in a wooden coffin.[4] The slate object was broken into several fragments and was later restored.[5] It is currently on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.[2] A copy of the artifact is on display at the Orient Pavilion of Jungfrau Park, founded by Erich von Dniken.[6]

Finds of large flat stone bowls from the First to Third Dynasties are generally not uncommon.[2] During this period of Ancient Egypt, the production of stone objects generally peaked,[7] and several high-quality slate objects of similar origin were found in Saqqara.[8] However, due to its design the disk is considered a unique piece in Egyptology.[9]

The discoverer Emery tentatively interpreted the artifact as a vessel placed on a stand because of the central hole, but no remains of such were found. However, it should be taken into account that mastaba S3111 was not untouched when Emery discovered it, but like many other ancient Egyptian tombs had been looted by grave robbers centuries before. Since the production of a metal object shaped like the Sabu disk would be easy, but very complex if it were made from easily splintered rock, it has been assumed that the disk may have been an imitation of a metal object.[10][11] Early reports of the discovery dubbed the find a "mysterious vessel" and speculated that it may have been a gigantic lamp.[12] In popular and unscientific publications, an English engineer named William Kay is quoted as having further developed this hypothesis. According to him, the bowl was used as a three-flame oil lamp during ritual activities and was placed on a holder for this purpose.[2][13] Another hypothesis states that the bowl could only have served a decorative purpose because of its fragility.[2]

In Egyptology, apart from the brief reports mentioned, there was no extensive discussion of the disk and its function. Some ancient astronaut fringe theorists believe the object is an out-of-place artifact, i.e. an object that was found in a place where it "does not belong". According to this theory, the significance of the disk can be recognized, besides its unique form, by the fact that it was placed in the center of the burial chamber, and not Sabu's remains. In addition, its appearance resembles the symbol for radioactivity. Zecharia Sitchin believes it is a flywheel for flywheel storage.[14]

At the Airbus research center, copies of the disk were made using a 3D printer and the physical properties of the disk were examined. The copies had aerodynamic properties, and could serve as flying disks. However, due to their rotational symmetry (or non-chirality), use as a propeller or turbine is impossible. It was also shown that it was possible to use the disk as an oil lamp.[15]

An intriguing artifact was unearthed on January 19, 1936, by British archaeologist Walter Bryan Emery during an excavation at the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt. The discovery took place in mastaba S3111, the tomb of a prominent Egyptian official named Sabu, who lived during the First Dynasty (circa 3000-2800 BC).

While the First Dynasty witnessed the creation of numerous large, high-quality stone bowls and plates, as well as finely worked slate pieces in Saqqara, none match the distinct shape of the Sabu Disk.

More extravagant theories suggest it served as a colossal triple-flame lamp or a flywheel designed to store rotational energy. Engineers from Airbus examined 3D replicas of the artifact and concluded that it exhibits aerodynamic properties, hinting at a potential function as a sophisticated throwing implement.

An object bearing resemblance to the Sabu Disk in shape is a clay figurine dating back to the Nagada II period (a phase of the Egyptian predynastic period spanning from approximately 3500 to 3400 BC), which is housed in the Petrie Museum in London.

This figurine features a round disk adorned with four snakes, three of which are depicted with their heads raised, encircling a central round-shaped container, while a fourth snake appears to be drinking from it.

Despite its elusive function, the Sabu Disk holds significant historical value for various reasons. It stands as a splendid testament to the advanced stone craftsmanship prevalent during the late predynastic period and the First Dynasty, showcasing the remarkable skills of ancient Egyptian artisans even prior to the era of the great pyramids.

Anyone visiting the sprawling museum of antiquities in Cairo will be awed by the wealth of Ancient Egyptian treasures contained inside it. From the famed treasures found in the Tomb of Tutankhamun, to the pharaonic statues and well-preserved mummies, this museum is the number one stop for all lovers of this ancient culture. But while you will be dazzled by these popular treasures, one curious item can be easily overlooked. The Disc of Sabu.

This odd item is circular in shape and measures roughly 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter and roughly 104 millimeters (4 inches) in height. It was discovered in 1936 by a renowned British Egyptologist, Mr. Walter Bryan Emery, and has been dated to the earliest periods of Ancient Egypt.

Emery devoted his career to excavations in the Nile River valley, and between 1935 and 1939 he conducted numerous surveys and digs in the burial grounds of Saqqara. The resting grounds of many high-status individuals from the early dynastic period, Saqqara is one of the oldest and largest necropolises from Ancient Egypt.

Of course, digging in Saqqara yielded many important and valuable items, but none so odd as the Disc of Sabu. Emery discovered it while excavating the tomb of Prince Sabu, a First Dynasty governor and the son of the famed Pharaoh Anedjib. The latter was the fifth ruler of the First Dynasty, and succeeded the powerful Pharaoh Den.

The tomb consisted of seven funerary chambers, each strewn with assorted grave goods. The largest room held the body of Prince Sabu, which was accompanied by many funerary items. Most of these were nothing out of the ordinary - animal bones, flint implements, pottery vessels, ivory items, stone bowls. But one item stood out like a sore thumb: Emery discovered a curious disc, broken into numerous pieces.

In the center of the disc is a thin tube, roughly 10 centimeters in diameter. The object is constructed of metasiltstone, elsewhere referred to as schist. This is a porous, fragile rock that would be extremely difficult to carve - especially in such delicate detail.

Schist is comprised of coarse grains and characterized by elongated minerals in marked layers. It has the propensity to flake when worked, and can be crushed very easily when tools are applied to it. So here we have our first mystery: how was the disc carved in such fine detail?

Furthermore, when propelled without a housing to direct the displaced water, the disc creates a powerful vortex. Observing these recorded experiments makes one thing clear: the curiously folded lobes and a slightly concave shape of the disc are there for a purpose. Thanks to the intricately carved details, the disc is able to displace water with ease, and is seemingly a crucial component of a water pump mechanism.

One fact supports this theory: Ancient Egypt depended on irrigation. Later in their history they perfected water management through basin irrigation, a process that allowed them to control the rise and fall of the river. Thus they managed to maximize their crops and boost their agricultural capabilities. So, why should it be odd to consider that they made attempts at creating an advanced design that would help them irrigate land quickly and efficiently?

But schist does not seem a strong enough material for a pumping mechanism. This suggests something else: were craftsmen from the First Dynasty of Egypt attempting to recreate an older object using the tools and materials available to them, an object they perhaps did not completely understand?

Many theories suggest that the disc of Sabu is just a schist stone replica of an original item made from metal. It is even suggested that the object was discovered amongst the remnants of an older, more advanced civilization, one that preceded the earliest history of Ancient Egypt.

Some however have proposed a much simpler role for the disc. They state that the three lobes were used to hold strands of silk or rope: when the disc was spun, it would weave the three strands into one, creating twine and thicker ropes. This theory is often dismissed as simply too straightforward: the Egyptians would not go to such extreme lengths to create the disc just to weave fibers when other methods were available quite early on.

As can be seen, a lot of proposals simply swerve into the realms of the impossible, and seem more based on wish-fulfilment than sound archaeology. Ancient hyperdrives, factory complexes, steering wheels, and other unlikely suggestions are simply impossible to prove.

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