Why are there these so-called “Egyptian” markings in Australia? Did the ancient Egyptians really travel to this remote location and leave signs of their presence there?
Everything humanity knows about recent history has proven to be incomplete. What we are taught in history books is not all there is to the past.
Egyptian Hieroglyphs in Australia
Gosford Glyphs, also known as Kariong Hieroglyphs, are a group of around 300 Egyptian-style hieroglyphs located in Kariong, Australia. They were discovered in an area famous for Indigenous rock engravings, situated between Gosford and Woy Woy in New South Wales, within the Brisbane Water National Park. (Photo: Planetamaldek)
For decades, local residents on the Central Coast of New South Wales have debated the authenticity of a series of hieroglyphs carved on a hidden rock face in Brisbane Water National Park. Many believe that these unique symbols originate from ancient Egypt.
Brave explorers have climbed through a narrow gap between two sandstone faces, entering a tight passage to examine the hieroglyphs. The symbols appear quite familiar to anyone knowledgeable about ancient Egypt, including images of Anubis, the name of Pharaoh Khufu attached in customary diagrams, and many other symbols.
They depict boats, chickens, dogs, owls, people, as well as what seems to be the names of kings, one of whom is Khufu (the second king of the Fourth Dynasty, 2637-2614 BC). (Photo: Atlasobscura).
In an area well-known for its abundance of Indigenous rock art, this particular collection of rock carvings was first documented in the 1970s and has been a topic of debate ever since.
Since then, questions have arisen as to whether they are the work of two Egyptian princes who were shipwrecked on the Australian continent, or if they are simply a long-standing hoax.
Others suggest they may be the work of a local resident living in the area or reflect a widespread Egyptomania following the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Regardless of who created them, these fascinating carvings in Australia are undoubtedly a sight to behold.
The carvings were first officially reported in 1975 by Alan Dash, a local surveyor working for the Gosford Council. (Photo: Atlasobscura).
The Truth About Egyptian Hieroglyphs in Australia
To address the question of whether ancient Egyptians ever set foot in Australia, Egyptologists have visited and studied these symbols, concluding that they are merely a hoax and contain numerous inconsistencies and errors in the characters. However, this hasn’t stopped many locals from maintaining their belief in their authenticity.
As quoted in a March 2021 article from Australian Geographic, a spokesperson for the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service stated that “there is no evidence” supporting the theory that the hieroglyphs were actually carved by ancient Egyptians.
Additionally, Egyptologist Boyo Ocinga from Macquarie University has also dismissed claims that these symbols could have been made by shipwrecked Egyptians from millennia ago.
In a report from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), he noted that there are both temporal and structural errors in the way the “hieroglyphs” are carved.
He stated: “First of all, the way they are cut is not how ancient Egyptians created rock engravings; they are very disorganized.”
Photo: Atlasobscura
Essentially, this means that the hieroglyphs used here come from different periods in Egyptian history—periods that are separated by thousands of years—grouped together to create the appearance that they were made by a single group of people.
So who made them? As cited in the ABC article, Dr. Ocinga suggests it is very likely that these symbols originate from a more recent period in Australian history.
He posits that these carvings were most likely made in the 1920s when there was widespread interest in ancient Egypt following the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb at that time.
Throughout human history, many civilizations have used glyph writing, but only Egyptian scripts are truly considered hieroglyphic.
We do not know exactly when hieroglyphs were developed, but we know they have existed since ancient times. It is possible that the idea of a hieroglyphic writing system was “imported” into Egypt starting from the cuneiform writing of the Sumerians, although this hypothesis is highly debated.
The oldest evidence we have of primitive hieroglyphs dates back to around 3500 BC, with the first complete sentence in hieroglyphs actually appearing around 2800-2700 BC. Both examples were found in tombs, with paintings on vases buried during the Naqada II period and reliefs from First Dynasty tombs.
The hieroglyphs themselves have never been lost—they have been displayed in Egypt since ancient times and are known throughout the Roman Empire, as well as the Middle East and Africa from the Dark Ages to the present day.
