Have you seen them?
The Egyptian-style hieroglyphs, known as the Gosford Glyphs, carved into a rock formation in Kariong have long been a source of fascination amongst the people of the Central Coast and academics alike. The discovery of the 300 plus images back in the 1970’s baffled locals, and lead to much speculation about their creation.
Some believe they come from Egyptian travellers who sailed to Australia some 5000 years ago and, after becoming ship wrecked, carved their story into the stone.
However, academics are a little less convinced.
According to Professor Boyo Ockinga, an Egyptologist from Macquarie University, the glyphs couldn’t possibly be from that time period.
Image:Instagram/@gosfordglyphs
“It would be wonderful…but I’m afraid it’s just not possible.
“First of all, the way they’re cut is not the way ancient Egyptian rock inscriptions are produced, they’re very disorganised,” he told ABC News back in 2012.
“There’s also a problem with the actual shapes of the signs that are used. There’s no way people would’ve been inscribing texts from the time of Cheops from the signs that weren’t invented until 2500 years later.”
Ockinga also disputed the idea that Egyptians were shipwrecked in the area.
“If by any chance they had reached Australia, you’d expect them to land on the west coast rather than over the east coast.”
The Professor goes on to say that he estimates that the glyphs ae no more than 100 years old, and were likely created in the 1920’s when a widespread interest in ancient Egypt swept the nation after the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
He also raised the point that this was around the time that many Australian soldiers were returning from Egypt where they had been stationed in World War One. There have been other recorded cases of “Egyptianisation” around the area, highlighting the Sphix Memorial in Kuring-Gai Chase National Park.
Image: Instagram/@chimhai
Despite the professor’s explanations, many locals and history buffs still love the idea of the Central Coast somehow being connected to ancient Egypt, and recent interpretations of the carvings has done nothing to dispel that idea.
In a translation completed by AncientCode.com, the hieroglyphs do in fact tell the story of Egyptians being “carried by ship” as the myth goes. It that was stranded on a “strange land”, causing the crew to travel east for eight months. It then goes on to explain their struggles to survive in this unknown territory, surviving off plants and struggling to find water. You can read the full translation here.
How to find the Gosford Glyphs
From Woy Woy Road, turn onto Bambara Rd and continue until you find a dirt turn off on the left. Park safely in this area. Venture down this trail until it seems to come to an end, then veer left until you find the rock formations.
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Written by Kate Stevens
Header image: Instagram/@declnnnnn
