Geoglyphs of Bala
Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)·Iron Age·🇪🇬 Aswan Governorate, Egypt
About
About Geoglyphs of Bala
Geoglyphs of Bala in Aswan Governorate, Egypt is a Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE) geoglyph attributed to Iron Age culture. Systematically investigated through ground-penetrating radar and test trenching, it presents a principal enclosure with hydraulic works. Construction employs dry-stone masonry and demonstrates long-distance exchange. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Iron Age geoglyph with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Cause of abandonment and collapse
- 02Social hierarchy and elite control
Theories
- 01Trading entrepôt and regional hub
- 02Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 216 BCE
- Period
- Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Iron Age
- Purpose
- Ceremonial and settlement
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 216 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 272 BCE
Secondary construction phase
c. 384 CE
Abandonment and gradual burial
1966
Archaeological identification via aerial survey
On the ground
Structures & features
25.3694° N · 33.4447° E · 2346 m · 4 mapped features
Stela Alignment
rampartHydraulic feature — well
25.3672° N · 33.4467° EGranary Cluster
galleryBurial zone — cists
25.3720° N · 33.4472° EReservoir/Cistern
platformHydraulic feature — aqueduct
25.3695° N · 33.4445° EStela Alignment 4
rock artOutlier feature with cup marks
25.3695° N · 33.4425° E