Nilometer of Satet

The Nilometer of Satet is a stone staircase of over forty steps, descending from the temple grounds on Elephantine Island directly into the Nile. Its granite and sandstone walls are incised with calibrated markings used to measure the height of the river’s annual flood. By tracking the rising water during the inundation season, priests and officials could predict the quality of the coming harvest and calculate the tax burdens for the surrounding region.