Abstract
Diagonal, transit, and Ramesside star clocks are tables of astronomical information occasionally found in ancient Egyptian temples, tombs, and papyri. The tables represent the motions of selected stars (decans and hour stars) throughout the Egyptian civil year. Analysis of star clocks leads to greater understanding of ancient Egyptian constellations, ritual astronomical activities, observational practices, and pharaonic chronology.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Depuydt L (2010) Ancient Egyptian star tables: a reinterpretation of their fundamental structure. In: Imhausen A, Pommerening T (eds) Writings of early scholars in the ancient Near East, Egypt, Rome, and Greece: translating ancient scientific texts, Beiträge zur Altertumskunde. De Gruyter, Berlin/New York, pp 241–276
Frankfort H (1933) The cenotaph of Seti I at Abydos. Egypt Exploration Society, London
Gadré K (2008) Conception d’un modèle de visibilité d’étoile à l’oeil nu. Application à l’identification des décans égyptiens. Université Paul Sabatier – Toulouse III. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00361227. Accessed 30 Sept 2012
Kahl J, El-Khadragy M, Verhoeven U, Abdelrahiem M, Ahmed HF, Kitagawa C, Malur J, Prell S, Rzeuska T (2011) The Asyut project: eighth season of fieldwork (2010). Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 40:181–209
Krauss R (2006) Egyptian Sirius/Sothic dates, and the question of the Sothis-based lunar calendar. In: Hornung E, Krauss R, Warburton DA (eds) Ancient Egyptian chronology, handbook of oriental studies. Brill Academic, Leiden, pp 439–457
Leitz C (1995) Altaegyptische Sternuhren. Peeters, Leuven
Lull J, Belmonte JA (2010) The constellations of ancient Egypt. In: Belmonte JA, Shaltout M (eds) In search of cosmic order: selected essays on Egyptian archaeoastronomy. American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, pp 157–194
Neugebauer O, Parker RA (1960) Egyptian astronomical texts, vol 1. Brown University Press, Providence
Neugebauer O, Parker RA (1966) Egyptian astronomical texts, vol 2. Brown University Press, Providence
Neugebauer O, Parker RA (1969) Egyptian astronomical texts, vol 3. Brown University Press, Providence
Symons SL (2002) The “transit star clock” in the book of nut. In: Steele JM, Imhausen A (eds) Under one sky: astronomy and mathematics in the ancient Near East. Ugarit-Verlag, Münster, pp 429–446
Symons SL (2007) A star’s year: the annual cycle in the ancient Egyptian sky. In: Steele JM (ed) Calendars and years: astronomy and time in the ancient world. Oxbow Books, Oxford, pp 429–446
Symons SL (in press) Contexts and elements of decanal star lists in ancient Egypt. In: Imhausen A, Bawanypeck D (eds) Traditions of written knowledge in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Ugarit-Verlag, Münster
von Bomhard AS (2008) The naos of the decades. Oxford Centre of Maritime Archaeology, Oxford
von Lieven A (2007) Grundriss Des Laufes Der Sterne. Das sogenannte Nutbuch, vol 8, The Carlsberg Papyri. Museum Tusculanum Press, Copenhagen
Willems H (1988) Chests of life: a study of the typology and conceptual development of Middle Kingdom standard class coffins. Ex Oriente Lux, Leiden
Zitman M (2010) The necropolis of assiut: a case study of local egyptian funerary culture from the old kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom. Peeters, Leuven
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Symons, S. (2015). Egyptian “Star Clocks”. In: Ruggles, C. (eds) Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6141-8_150
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6141-8_150
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6140-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6141-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics