Abstrakt
The origins of the sun cult have been a topic of protracted discussion for many decades. There are many suggestions and a number of interpretations, often fairly dubious.
The phenomenon is complicated and challenging and often has been interpreted on the basis of isolated records. There are no written documents from the Predynastic Egypt, which makes interpretations more difficult.
The supposed sources referring to the sun cult's roots were gathered by Ahmed Saied (2005). However, before starting the analysis, the term "origins of the sun cult" has to be considered.
It was Mark Smith (2017: 8-40) who, in his treatise on the god Osiris, analysed the anticipated prehistoric attestations for afterlife beliefs, challenging thus many theories. Some of his methodological approaches can be applied to the topic under study.
With the analysis of rock art in Western and Eastern Deserts, so-called solar calendar in Nabta Playa, orientations of corpses in graves, some pieces of decorated pottery, models of boats, etc., this paper aims at re-assessing the relevant sources and arguments, demonstrating thus limits in understanding of the Predynastic belief system.