Protodynastic Egyptian Astronomy
[Disclaimer: The contents of this post are merely the reflections of the author’s opinions an beliefs, the subject matter holds no scientific weight. The aim is to explore alternative views on history.]
During the First Intermediate Period the ancient Egyptians looked at the stars, that is clear, yet nothing is known about Egyptian astronomy before these times. Evidence is scarce and proto-writing can be subjected to wide interpretation. In order to make sense of early cosmology it is necessary to understand later systems of thought, suppose that the core has been consistent throughout history and then retrace.
The decanate system focuses primarily on the path of the Sun called the ecliptic, the ecliptic is a narrow band in a dome shaped sky. The heliacal rising as a focal point prevents the observer from drifting and getting lost amidst the many constellations. It also presents a cut-off point for Egyptologists as it demonstrates that this is how Egyptian astronomy started, but is this true?
Heliacal rising presents a cut-off point for Egyptologists as it demonstrates that this is how Egyptian astronomy started, but is this true?
During the creation of the Sphinx[2] and the construction of the Great Pyramid[3] certain alignments allowed for great precision, precision that has scientists baffled even to this day. Instead of merely pointing to a single star the ancient Egyptians must have integrated the concept of constellations in order to make use of those alignments. If the ancient Egyptians used celestial alignments then they would have understood precession of the earth’s axial rotation.
Djedkare Isesi[4] was the eighth and penultimate ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt in the late 25th century to mid-24th century, during the Old Kingdom. In his time Leo’s main star Regulus would align to satisfy the conditions necessary for the Sphinx’s construction. Djedkare Isesi did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, a tradition followed by his predecessors at the start of the Fifth Dynasty. He reorganized the funerary cults and reformed the corresponding priesthood. These acts surrounding the Sphinx hint at a scientific breakthrough or a revolution in religious practices.
First Dynasty pharaoh Den (c. 2970 BCE)[5] is the best archeologically-attested ruler of his period. Below is an image of the MacGregor-Label found in his tomb in Abydos:
Originally attached to a pair of royal sandals. The depiction is that of a pharaoh striking down an Asiatic tribesman along with the inscription “The first occasion of smiting the East”.
This smiting scene can be found all over Egypt in various ways in every period of Egypt’s history from the predynastic age until the Roman period. Although over the different time periods the stylistic features will vary, it is consistent over a timespan of more than 3000 years. It is obvious that this scene holds great significance in Egypt. Below are a few examples:
As the Nile’s overflow recedes in October the start of the sowing season begins, laboring the fields now becomes mandatory. The October sky is of particular interest, its representation can be seen below:
Notice the similarities in the way the ancient Egyptians drew the Macgregor-Label and the constellations at this particular time. It becomes even more apparent in the month of September, figure 5 shows side by side comparison:
On the opposite of Taurus sits Scorpio, the start of the harvest season. In Egypt the harvest season comes before the inundation of the Nile river during the summer months. Summer starts in February, the harvest season lasts from March until May[6]. Consider, if the sky in its entirety is imagined as a bull and Taurus is its head then perhaps the constellation Scorpio, at its rear end, can be imagined as the bull’s tail, a depiction often used by pharaohs[7].
In protodynastic times, during Naqada III, a pharaoh ruled named Scorpio I who had conquered “Bull’s Head” and in doing so unified Upper and Lower Egypt. In a search of his tomb, archaeologists discovered dozens of imported ceramic jars containing a yellow residue consistent with wine, dated to about 3150 BC. Chemical residues of herbs, tree resins, and other natural substances were found in the jars. Grape seeds, skins and dried pulp were also found in the tomb[8].
The fabled Scorpion King victorious over Bull’s Head, a veneration very similar to that of Mithra in Mithraism. Mithra also happens to slay the celestial bull using similar emblems.
It is possible that an individual adopted the sign of a scorpion and ruled by them, it could also be an honorary title that evolved since time immemorial. Perhaps it is merely a concept, a system of thought by which the ancient Egyptians were able to plan the seasons using celestial observations. Who knows…
If the MacGregor-Label is actually a star map then this object could function as a pivot and open up new angles to investigate earlier artefacts. Objects that until now have been ascribed to mundane rulers could actually reveal more about the evolution of early Egyptian cosmology. The concept of the Scorpion King as a season based myth deserves further research.
By Orestes_3113
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References
[1] Decans — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
[2] The Great Sphinx — https://medium.com/@Orestes_3113/the-mystery-of-the-sphinx-a1d6328fdb30
[3] The Great Pyramid — https://medium.com/@Orestes_3113/the-great-pyramid-of-giza-607eec532892
[4] Djedkare Isesi — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djedkare_Isesi
[5] Den (pharaoh) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_(pharaoh)
[6] Harvest season— http://southwesttilapiafarm.com/length-time-grow-tilapia-fingerling-harvest-size/
[7] Bull’s tail — https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/royalemblems/
[8] Scorpion I — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_I
