This database includes information on ancient Egyptian astronomical texts, tables, diagrams, and timekeeping instruments. The information in this section is taken either directly from the sources themselves by the authors in person or from photographs or drawings in previous publications or image archives, which are cited on the relevant pages.
Occurrences of star names from ancient Egyptian astronomical texts and tables can be grouped into the following categories:
- Decans: names of stars or asterisms used in diagonal star tables, astronomical diagrams, and processions of stars in tombs and temples.
- Decan Lists: ordered sets of decans which characterise sources or groups of sources.
- Constellations: groups of decans or other stars forming figures of creatures, humans or deities, and objects.
- Diagonal star tables (also called diagonal star tables: schematic tables of star movements over the course of a year.
- Astronomical representations (star maps, diagrams, or sky pictures): depictions of the sky including stars, constellations, planets, and sometimes calendrical elements.
- Water clocks: instruments that tell the hourly time via water running into or out of a vessel. These sometimes have astronomical depictions on their outer surface.
Also included:
- Sundials: instruments that tell the hourly time via the direction and/or length of the Sun's shadow.
The database does not currently hold information about other star names mentioned in other forms of literature.
To familiarize yourself with the conventions used on this site, you can see a list of conventions here.