Ancient Egyptian Astronomy Database

This site is a repository of information about astronomical documents from the pharaonic period of ancient Egypt. Here you can find information about the stars that were named in ancient Egyptian texts and documents, find out where astronomical material was located and when it was written down, and see how the sky was depicted in astronomical tables and diagrams.

In particular, the site aims to provide an up-to-date, accessible, and scholarly companion to the astronomical texts and tables previously described in Neugebauer and Parker's three-volume work Egyptian Astronomical Texts (EAT) published in the 1960s. The site currently contains data on diagonal star tables, corresponding to the first volume of EAT, and astronomical representations, part of the monument list in the third volume. It also contains a complete catalogue of sundials and water clocks from ancient Egypt from the New Kingdom to around AD 350.

Click on "Database" in the menu on the left to access detailed information on sundials, water clocks, stars (decans), decan lists, diagonal star tables, and astronomical representations, or "Reference" to find a bibliography, a glossary of terms used on the site, a list of conventions, and other useful tools.  On the information pages, hover over citations to bring up full details and click on star names and source titles to bring up more details.

 

Sopdet and Sahu (Sirius and Orion) from an astronomical ceiling in Dendera (photo: Robert Cockcroft).