AR1 Decan Lists

Astronomical representations can be categorized according to their decanal content (EAT3).  Often, representations which share similar decanal content share other commonalities of style and/or layout.  In EAT3, Neugebauer and Parker grouped their "monuments" (astronomical texts) into decan list families.  They named each family after the earliest occurence of that decan list.  This naming convention can be confusing (for example, there are three families named after "Seti I", because the earliest instance of each occured in the reign of that pharaoh).  In this database, we use "AR1" to refer to one tradition of decans used in Astronomical Representations.  AR1 is equivalent to the Senmut Family in EAT3.

The AR1 decan list is the most common list in astronomical representations, and the list with the widest distribution over time.   The list can be accompanied by one of two sets of decanal deities.  The less common deity list, AR1 variant, is restricted to four closely-related 20th dynasty tomb ceilings.  This variant, which is called Senmut B in EAT3, is discussed on a separate page.  EAT3 also identifies another subgroup, called Senmut A, of three members (8 Ramses II A, 9 Ramses II B, and 17 Ramses III A) which are treated here as members of AR1 (Symons, 2015b).

AR1 occurs in thirteen astronomical representations known to date, with a further five astronomical representations that have been hypothesised to have originally been based on the AR1 model, but are too fragmentary to be entirely certain:  Tomb of Karakhamun, Tomb of Ibi, Sarcophagus of Ankhhapy, Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (A-31), and Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (A-28).

Occurences of decan list AR1 in astronomical representations

The "key" in the first column is the code used to distinguish this astronomical representation in the table later on this page. 

KeyTitleLocationDateEAT3 Number & Name
1 Tomb of Senenmut TT 353, Deir el-Bahari 18th Dynasty 2 Senmut
2 Water clock (Amenhotep III) Found at Karnak; now in Egyptian Museum, Cairo 18th Dynasty 3 Amenhotep III
3 Ramesseum (Second Hypostyle Hall) West Bank, Thebes 19th Dynasty

8 Ramses II A & 9 Ramses II B
4 Medinet Habu Sanctuary of Osiris, Room 25, Medinet Habu 20th Dynasty 17 Ramses III A
5 Tomb of Petamenophis TT 33, Tombs of the Nobles, Asasif, Thebes Late Period 32 Pedamenope
6 Tomb of Karakhamun TT 223, Tombs of the Nobles, Asasif, Thebes Late Period -
7 Tomb of Ibi TT 36, Tombs of the Nobles, Asasif, Thebes Late Period -
8 Tomb of Montuemhet TT 34, Tombs of the Nobles, Asasif, Thebes Late Period 33 Montemhet
9 Ceiling Block (Roda) Stored near the Nilometer at Roda Late Period 36 Roda
10 Sarcophagus of a bull JE 86723, Egyptian Museum, Cairo Late Period 37 Abu Yasin
11 Sarcophagus of Ankhhapy CG 29301, Egyptian Museum, Cairo Late Period 38 Ankhhapy
12 Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (A-31) Animal Necropolis, Tuna el-Gebel  (central part of ceiling) Greco-Roman 40 Hermopolis A
13 Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (C-2) Animal Necropolis, Tuna el-Gebel Greco-Roman 41 Hermopolis B
14 Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (A-28) Animal Necropolis, Tuna el-Gebel (central part of ceiling) Greco-Roman 42 Hermopolis C
15 Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (B-2) Animal Necropolis, Tuna el-Gebel Greco-Roman 43 Hermopolis D
16 Water clock (Ptolemy II) N 664 = AF 894, Louvre Museum, Paris Greco-Roman 44 Ptolemy II
17 Water clock (Florence) ? Greco-Roman 45 Florence
18

Coffin of Hornedjitef

 6678, British Museum, London Greco-Roman 46 Harendotes
Composition of decan list AR1

This table shows the decans composing decan list AR1, their deities in most of the occurences, and their appearances in astronomical the astronomical representations listed above.  For details (especially of variant deities, spelling, order, survival in damaged areas, and bibliographic references), see the individual records for each astronomical representation by clicking on the name of the representation in the table above.  No decans survive in 14, Tuna el-Gebel Gallery C (A-28).

In the first column, the numbering assigned to this decan name in the list of all decans in EAT3.  In the second column, the sequential numbering for this decan in the list AR1 is given. 

Legend
● Decan is present in the star table
○ Decan is omitted
▲ Decan occurs in the triangle area between the superior and inferior planets
- Decan is not expected to occur
  Parts of the decan list that are missing through loss or damage

 

EAT3AR1 ListDecanDeity or Deities1

2

3

4

5

67

8

9

10

11

12

13

15

16

17

18
1 1 tpy-a knmt Hapy, Imseti ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
2 2 knmt  Isis ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
4 3 Xry xpd knmt ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○ ● ●
6 4 HAt DAt Duamutef, Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
8 5 pHwy DAt ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
10 6 TmAt Hrt  Duamutef ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
12 7 TmAt Xrt  ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●  ●  ●
13 8 wSAti  Duamutef, Hapy ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
15 9 bkAti  ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
19 10 tpy-a xntt Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
20 11 xntt Hrt ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
21 12 xntt Xrt  Seth ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
22 13 Tms n xntt  Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
25 14 sApti xnwy Isis, Nephthys ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
28 15 Hry-ib wiA  Seth ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
30 16 sSmw Seth ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
32 17 knmw Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
33 18 tpy-a smd Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
36 19 smd  Hapy ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
37 20 sit  Isis ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ● ● ●
38 21 sAwy sit  Duamutef ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ● ● ●
39 22 Xry xpd srt  Kebehsenuf ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
40 23 tpy-a Ax(wy) Duamutef ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
41 24 Ax(wy) Duamutef, Kebehsenuf ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
44 25 bA(wy) Hapy, Imseti ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
45 26 xntw Hr(w) Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
47 27 (xntw) Xrw ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
48 28 qd  Hapy, Kebehsenuf ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
49 29 sAwy qd ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
50 30 xAw  Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ○
51 31 art  Eye of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ● ●
55 32 Hry rmn sAH Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
59 33 Xry rmn sAH Children of Horus ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
60 34 rmn sAH Eye of Horus ○ ● ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
63 35 sAH Osiris ● ○ ● ● ● ○ ● ● ● ● ○
68 36 spdt Isis ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
84 A Stwy Hapy, Duamutef ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
90 B nsrw Imseti ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
91 C sSpt  Eyes of Horus ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
93 D hpds [ ] ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ○
94 E abSs Horus ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
95 F nTr wAS Duamutef ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲