The mysterious tri-lobed “Disc of Sabu,” on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, was carved from stone by the ancient Egyptians around 3000 B.C. We are still not 100% sure why, but we might be getting there.
The Schist Disc, also often called the Egyptian Tri-Lobed Disc or the Disc of Sabu, is a puzzling ancient Egyptian artifact found in the tomb of Prince Sabu, a First Dynasty governor and the son of Pharaoh Anedjib. Composed of three curved lobes converging at the center, it is unlike any other ancient artifact found in Egypt so far.
Discovered in the Necropolis of Sakkara, the largest group of Egyptian tombs built in antiquity, Prince Sabu’s tomb is estimated to date back to around 3,000 BC during the early dynastic period of Ancient Egypt, making the disc at least 5,000 years old! Given that the tools used at that time were made of stone and copper, achieving such precise craftsmanship on a delicate material like schist stone, which the disc is made of, would have been extremely difficult. And this is only one of the reasons why the object has aroused the interest of scientists and others.
Numerous theories have been proposed over the years as to what the purpose of the object was. Initially, the disc was dismissed as being a vase, an incense burner, or a decorative or ceremonial item of little significance. However, this has been disputed by those who believe it to be much more than that. But before looking at all the different theories that have been suggested in connection with its use, first let’s look at the facts.
Discovered by famed archaeologist Walter B. Emery on January 10, 1936, the disc is circular in shape and measures roughly 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter and roughly 106 millimeters (4 inches) in height. It is crafted from “Schist” stone, a term used by archaeologists in the past that in case refers to metasiltstone, a type of metamorphosed siltstone that is less susceptible to fracture during carving that the original stone. However, it’s still rather delicate to work with and requires a skilled craftsman. Throughout Egyptian history, there are numerous examples of Schist vessels and other objects with intricate hieroglyphic carvings, demonstrating its use as a material for such objects.
And the facts end here. Period.
So now to the theories. Well, in addition to those mentioned above, the more common, ‘mainstream’ hypotheses include:
- A mixing tool for mixing grains, with meat and water, and perhaps fruits.
- Lamp
- Water pump
- Ancient ‘lazy Susan’ for food distribution.
- Rope making/storing
As Adam Henessy points out, it’s hard to argue with these although using it as a water pump or mixing tool for an extended period may be challenging, due to the fragile nature of the stone. Nevertheless, there definitely are some marked similarities between the disc and a modern pump impeller, as the image below testifies.
Armed with a 3D printer, one resourceful amateur historian even created an accurate replica of the Sabu disc in an attempt to prove his own theory according to which the disc was an ancient “impeller”, a part of a centrifugal pump. When placed in a housing and propelled at high speed through its central shaft, the disc indeed proves highly effective at pumping water.
Additionally, when spun without a housing to direct the water, the disc generates a potent vortex. These experiments might suggest the disc’s unique folded lobes and slightly concave shape serve a definite purpose. But do they really have to do with water? As this video and the following paragraphs suggest, some people believe those curious shapes were part of something completely different – like more advanced technologies.
Some of the less ‘wild’ of these theories suggest that the artifact is actually an ancient wheel. But the first recorded depiction of a wheel in Egypt only occurs in a frieze from 1500 BC, around the time of the Hyksos invasion in 1640 BC. This predates the conventional historical account of wheel use by 1500 years, making it a potentially revolutionary discovery. However, the brittle schist stone material used for the disc would not be able to withstand the stress of serving as a wheel.
Nevertheless, some ‘theorists’ go much farther by claiming that we see not a simple wheel, but a stone ‘reproduction’ or ‘model’ of a metallic fly-wheel that was used by ancient aliens in an interstellar machine. Erich von Däniken popularized this theory, with some proponents even suggesting that the object was found among the remains of an earlier, more technologically advanced civilization, predating the earliest recorded history of Ancient Egypt.
Those promoting the idea that the Ancient Egyptian civilization was more technically advanced than mainstream science believes have also suggested that the disc was used as a propulsion device for a watercraft. In theory, this sounds OK, as the shape looks about right and online experiments with replicas pushing water are numerous. But, again, a stone object for this purpose seems counterintuitive.
That said, there exists a real phenomenon called acoustic levitation, whereby acoustic radiation pressure from high-intensity sound waves are used to suspend objects in the air against gravity. This concept, while relatively new, has been thoroughly studied and is considered fact. Thus, this theory is not entirely implausible.
And then, there are some sources that outright claim the device was used to create megalithic energy, but we won’t go into details here. In case you are interested, you can read more here, but to us it all seems just a bit too far-fetched.
According to a recent study, with is more grounded in scientific evidence, the truth could be much more down-to-earth, after all. Archaeologist Akio Kato, who has extensively studied the history and archaeology of ancient Egyptian beer, suggests that the tri-lobed disc was used in brewing beer as a mash rake to mix and even out the mixture of grains and hot water in a fairly big mash tun.
Kato points out two observations which support this idea. Firstly, the burial chamber of Prince Sabu contains votive objects consisting of stone or pottery vessels, flint or copper implements, ivory boxes, bones of two oxen and arrows – almost all of them related to “foods” dedicated for the afterlife of Prince Sabu.
Hence, it would be just natural to propose that the disc was for the beer, which was a staple ‘food’ (rather than alcoholic drink) for ancient Egyptians, equally important as bread, and also an essential provision for the afterlife.
Secondly, the disc’s grey color works quite well in distinguishing it from the brown-colored wort. The disc was made in the early Bronze Age, and the metals used in those days were copper or bronze. If it were made of copper or bronze, then it would be brown colored, making it difficult to examine the quality of wort.
The study also explains how effective the three smoothly curved lobes are when it comes to mashing, allowing the smooth mixing of grains with hot water without generating any vortices or bubbles, ensuring homogeneous mash with uniform temperature distribution. A fluid tends to follow a nearby curved surface if the curvature of the surface is not too sharp, and the rounded (neither flat nor sharp) parts of the disc’s surface, together with the rind at the circumference, induce such a smooth mixing when the disc is moved up and down (this is referred to as the “Coandă effect,” named after Romanian aerodynamicist Henri Coandă).
Another fact that seems to support Kato’s stance is that the tri-lobed disc floats on the surface of water, and it doesn’t require much strength to move it softly up or down in it. The slightest force will induce the flow of water, after which the flow itself helps to move the disc.
That said, for a big-sized disc some reinforcement (by ropes) would be necessary, as it would still receive considerable pressure from the liquid. So the fully equipped device might have looked something like shown below.
And it could have been used in large beer vats like the ones below, which were part of the world’s oldest known mass brewery found at the royal burial ground of Abydos, dating back to around 3000 BC.
Even more interestingly, Kato suggests that later versions of these vats also worked as sundials, allowing brewers to know exactly since when the beer has been brewing in a given vat. In this setup, the rake with the disc at bottom is one of three candidates for the sundial’s gnomon, or projecting piece.
Kato’s theory sounds all the more feasible as in ancient Egypt beer was not simply a staple food for the living, but a symbol of status and authority, important in elite feasting and burial rituals in this life and the next. At centers of worship, there were major religious celebrations organized where beer was consumed in great quantities (hence the mass brewery presented above). So placing a beer brewing device of central importance in the middle of Prince Sabu’s burial chamber along with other food related items scattered around it appears to be just about right and not at all out-of-place.
We find Kato’s research rather convincing, but then who knows? After all, the disc could as well have been utilized as a vessel for (more direct) religious use, as a simple incense burner as already mentioned above – which is probably the most widespread explanation. Incense in large bundles could have been placed in the center hole, with offerings to the Gods placed around the incense. According to this theory, the shape is reaching toward the home of the gods and ushering forth the offerings. And the object would have been placed in the middle of Prince Sabu’s tomb so he could make offerings in the afterlife.
Well, you decide. We think we’ll go with the beer version.
Soruces: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6