This book is a comprehensive reference on ancient Egyptian astronomy, one of the most important topics in historical astronomy. Written by two recognized specialists―one an astronomer trained in Egyptology and the other an Egyptologist trained in astronomy―it synthesizes and analyses the international body of research surrounding this ancient culture.
The chapters in this work address all major topics in the field, including Egyptian cosmogony and worldview, timekeeping devices and calendars, landscapes and skyscapes, astronomy-influenced architecture, chronology and more. Each chapter includes an introduction, an overview of the existing documentation on the subject, a critical discussion of ongoing debates and questions, and a presentation of state-of-the-art research.
Straddling the line between Egyptology and astronomy, this multidisciplinary book will appeal to any scholar or specialist interested in studying ancient Egyptian astronomy.
Author(s): Juan Antonio Belmonte, José Lull
Series: Historical & Cultural Astronomy
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 618
City: Cham
Foreword
References
Preface, by Way of Introduction
Acknowledgements
Contents
Chapter 1: Cosmogonies: The Formation of The Ancient Egyptian Universe
1.1 Cosmogonic Traditions
1.1.1 Heliopolitan Cosmogony
1.1.2 Memphite Cosmogony
1.1.3 Theban Cosmogony
1.1.4 Hermopolitan Cosmogony
1.1.5 Esna Cosmogony
1.2 Structure of the Egyptian Universe
1.2.1 Nun and Nunet
1.2.2 The Duat
1.2.3 The Sky
1.2.4 The Earth
1.3 The Structure of the Universe Reflected in Egyptian Architecture
1.4 The End of the Egyptian Universe
Chapter 2: Egyptian Astronomers Throughout History
2.1 Astronomers and Horologists During The Pharaonic Period
2.1.1 Astronomers from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom
2.1.2 New Kingdom Astronomers
2.1.3 Astronomers of the Third Intermediate Period and Late Period
2.2 Basic Instruments of Observation
2.3 Precedents of Astrology Before The Graeco–Roman Period
2.4 From Astronomers to Astrologers in the Transition to the Graeco–Roman Period
2.4.1 Two Egyptian Astrologers in the Tradition
2.4.2 Astrology in Egypt
Chapter 3: Measuring Time: Ancient Egyptian Star, Water, and Solar Clocks
3.1 Star Clocks
3.1.1 Diagonal Star Clocks
3.1.2 Decanal Transit ‘Clocks’
3.1.3 The Ramesside Star Clocks
3.1.4 A Clock Based on the Movement Meskhetyu Around the North Celestial Pole
3.2 Sundials
3.2.1 Shadow Clocks
3.2.2 Vertical Sundials
3.3 Clepsydras
3.3.1 Outflow Clepsydras
3.3.2 Inflow Clepsydrae
3.3.3 Clepsydras to Indicate Time- and Space-Distances
3.4 Hours of Constant Length
Chapter 4: Mapping the Stars: The Skies of Ancient Egypt
4.1 The Sun and the Moon
4.2 The Planets
4.3 Comets
4.4 Shooting Stars and Meteorites
4.5 The Milky Way
4.6 Stars and Constellations
4.6.1 An Example of an Astronomical Ceiling: The Celestial Diagram of Senenmut
4.7 Hypotheses Concerning the Identification of Stars and Constellations
4.7.1 Northern Constellations
4.7.2 Hourly Stars and Southern Constellations: From Diagonal Star Clocks to Ramesside Star Tables
4.7.3 Star Clusters and Fuzzy Deep-Sky Objects
4.7.4 The Dendara Zodiac and Its Different Traditions
4.7.4.1 The Zodiacal and Parazodiacal Constellations and the Ancient Egyptian Tradition
4.7.4.2 The Planets, Sun, and Moon
4.7.4.3 Problematic ‘Constellations’
4.7.4.4 Completing the Zodiac
Chapter 5: The Calendar of Ancient Egypt: A Gift of the Nile
5.1 One or Several Calendars?
5.2 The Solar Origin of the 365-day Calendar: A Working Hypothesis
5.2.1 The Role of the Nile
5.2.2 A Brand New Clever Calendar … and a Date
5.3 The Names of the Months: A Tale of Mystery and Imagination
5.3.1 Problems, What Problems?
5.3.2 Calendric Mechanics: A Model
5.4 The Solstices as Time-Markers in the Framework of the Egyptian Calendar
5.5 The Beginning(s) of the Egyptian Year: An Egyptologist’s Nightmare
5.5.1 The Enigma of Tepj Renpet vs. Peret Sopdet
5.6 Lunar Days, Lunar Festivals, and the Ancient Egyptian Lunar Computus
5.7 The Going Forth of Sopdet: The Magic of Egyptian Sothic Dates
5.8 Epilogue: More on the Ebers Calendar
Chapter 6: Ancient Egyptian Land- and Skyscapes
6.1 Introduction: A Story of Discovery
6.2 History Begins at Abydos
6.3 Astronomy, Architecture, and Symbolism in the 4th Dynasty
6.3.1 Kha(wy) Sneferu: Symbolism and Power
6.3.2 Akhet Khufu: The Sun at the Horizon
6.3.3 Khufu’s Successors and the Stellar Pyramids
6.4 The Siblings of the Sun God: Temples, Pyramids, and Texts
6.5 The Solstice, the New Year, and the Nile: The Paradigm of Ipet Sut
6.6 The Paradigm of Deir el-Bahari: Challenging Winter Solstice Alignments in Ancient Thebes
6.6.1 The Funerary Temple of Mentuhotep II: An Enigma Wrapped in a Mystery
6.6.2 The Million Year Mansion of Hatshepsut: A Source of Legitimacy
6.6.3 A Solstice Delusion?
6.7 Tanis, a New Thebes in the North
6.8 The Star of Isis, the Nile and Meskhetyu: Skyscaping at Dendara
6.9 Shrines of Ram-Headed Divinities and Canopus: Land- and Skyscapes of Herakleopolis Magna and Beyond
6.9.1 When Multidisciplinary Efforts Are Worthwhile: Skyscaping at Herakleopolis Magna
6.9.2 Beyond Herakleopolis: Ram-Headed Deities and Their Temples
6.10 A Southern Reflection: The Kingdom of Kush
6.10.1 South Versus North: Kush as a Mirror of Egypt
6.10.2 Amun Temples, an Intriguing Case
6.10.3 Unveiling Nuri: Clues Towards Solving an Enigma
6.10.4 Kush: Egypt’s Southern Mirror
6.11 Epilogue
Chapter 7: Astronomy and Chronology
7.1 Evidence, What Evidence?
7.1.1 Stellar Inspirations
7.1.2 Lunar Riddles
7.1.3 The Wandering Wepet Renpet and Its Relatives
7.1.4 Aligning Stars
7.2 Yearly Time-Reckoning in Ancient Egypt
7.3 Astronomical Dates of the Old Kingdom and the Cattle Census Count
7.4 Sothic and Lunar Dates at Sekhem Senuseret Ma’kheru: A Chronologists’ Dream, and a Dilemma
7.4.1 Where Was Sopdet Observed (If It Ever Was)?
7.4.2 The Elusive and ‘Damn’ (But Fascinating) Lunar Dates of the Illahun Archive
7.5 New Kingdom Astronomical Dates: Riddles for the Chronology of the ‘Great’ Pharaohs
7.6 C14 Versus Astronomy: A Scholar’s Dilemma
7.7 Hiding the Aten: Was the Sun Eclipsed in Ancient Egypt?
7.8 Lunar Dates, Solar Alignments, Wine Dockets, C14 and Eclipses: Dating the Amarna Period
7.9 Conclusion
Appendix: Glossary of Ancient Egyptian Astronomical Terms and Related Words
Bibliography
Abbreviations
List of Works Consulted
Index
