The Ancient Egyptian ‘Airplane’: The Saqqara Bird Explained

Discovered in the necropolis of Saqqara, Egypt, in 1898, a small wooden object shaped like a bird has sparked decades of debate. Known today as the Saqqara Bird, some researchers have claimed it represents an early model of a glider, evidence that ancient Egyptians may have experimented with flight long before modern aviation.

But does the evidence support that claim?

In this episode of History Undisclosed, we examine the artifact’s discovery, its construction and proportions, the aerodynamic experiments performed on replicas, and the competing interpretations proposed by archaeologists and engineers. We explore whether the object was truly designed with flight in mind, or whether modern observers are projecting technological assumptions onto an ancient ceremonial or symbolic item.