Astronomical ceiling of Senemut Tomb
Encyclopedia
Astronomical ceiling decoration in its earliest form can be traced to the Tomb of Senemut
(Theban tomb no. 353), located at the site of Deir el-Bahri
, Egypt. The tomb and the ceiling decorations date back to the 18th Dynasty
of ancient Egypt
(ca. 1473 B.C.).
was discovered during the 1925-1927 excavations directed by Herbert Winlock for the Egyptian Expedition
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
.
The unearthing of the 10x12 ft. chamber yielded the two panels of what is now referred to as the Egyptian Celestial Diagram.
because of the difficulty that arises when an attempt is made to match modern day constellations with the depictions made thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians.
The map on the southern panel proves to reflect a specific conjunction of planets around the longitude of Sirius. The four planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus are relatively easily recognizable. The planet Mars is not included in the actual grouping and at first sight seems to be missing in the map. However, Mars is also pictured in the Senenmut map, but it is represented by an empty boat in the west. This seems to refer to the fact that Mars was retrograde so that in this backward movement (well known phenomenon to the Egyptians) the Mars position was perhaps not consider to be ”concrete”.
Egyptian astronomy consisted of the identification of the heavenly bodies in the sky and their connection with the deities that were believed to play a role in religious mythology and practice.
Astronomical ceilings bore significant symbolism for the Egyptians as they combined divine religion with more earthly aspects of daily life such as agriculture and labor. The detailed depiction of astronomy and deities illustrates the Egyptians desire to understand the heavens and the attempt to apply that understanding to the gods that they believed influenced all aspects of life.
According to Joanne Conman, the universe was seen as sacred to the Egyptians and, therefore, depictions were highly religious and cherished. The North served as the direction of eternity, immortality, and celestial rebirth because it is where Re
is rejuvenated.
The assimilation of these elements insured that the Egyptian calendar would differ from the ancient calendars of the Sumerians and the Babylonians. Otto Neugebauer suggests that the complexity of Egyptian calendars:
The use of astronomical calendars was not limited to ceiling tombs as they appeared on coffin boards, water boards, temples, and various other surfaces and objects.
Senenmut
Senenmut was an 18th dynasty ancient Egyptian architect and government official. His name translates literally as "mother's brother."- Family :...
(Theban tomb no. 353), located at the site of Deir el-Bahri
Deir el-Bahri
Deir el-Bahari or Deir el-Bahri is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt....
, Egypt. The tomb and the ceiling decorations date back to the 18th Dynasty
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
The eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is perhaps the best known of all the dynasties of ancient Egypt...
of ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
(ca. 1473 B.C.).
Discovery
The tomb of SenemutSenemut
Senenmut was an 18th dynasty ancient Egyptian architect and government official. His name translates literally as "mother's brother."- Family :...
was discovered during the 1925-1927 excavations directed by Herbert Winlock for the Egyptian Expedition
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
.
The unearthing of the 10x12 ft. chamber yielded the two panels of what is now referred to as the Egyptian Celestial Diagram.
Celestial Diagram
The Celestial Diagram consisted of a northern and a southern panel which depicted circumpolar constellations in the form of discs; each divided into 24 sections suggesting a 24 hour time period, lunar cycles, and sacred deities of Egypt. Of the constellations present on the diagram, the only certainly identifiable was Meskhetyu with the Big DipperBig Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
because of the difficulty that arises when an attempt is made to match modern day constellations with the depictions made thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians.
- Some of the main figures and stars seen in the diagram are SiriusSiriusSirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
, OrionOrion (constellation)Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
, Ursa MajorUrsa MajorUrsa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
, DracoDraco (constellation)Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar for many observers in the northern hemisphere...
(may be depicted as hippopotamus with crocodile on its back), - The four circles on the top right refer to the four months of AkhetSeason of the InundationThe Season of the Inundation is the first season in the ancient Egyptian calendar and corresponds roughly with early September to early January....
(inundation) between July and October - The two circles at the top left and the two below them refer to the season of PeretSeason of the EmergenceThe Season of the Emergence , or Proyet, or Peret, is the second season or Winter season of the Egyptian calendar. It falls roughly between early January and early May.)...
(planting season) between November and February - The four circles on the right refer to the season of ShomuSeason of the HarvestSeason of the Harvest is the third and final season of the Egyptian calendar. The word Shemu literally translates as "low-water", and falls roughly between early May and early September. During this season, the crops of the grain harvest are collected...
(harvesting season) between March and June
The map on the southern panel proves to reflect a specific conjunction of planets around the longitude of Sirius. The four planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus are relatively easily recognizable. The planet Mars is not included in the actual grouping and at first sight seems to be missing in the map. However, Mars is also pictured in the Senenmut map, but it is represented by an empty boat in the west. This seems to refer to the fact that Mars was retrograde so that in this backward movement (well known phenomenon to the Egyptians) the Mars position was perhaps not consider to be ”concrete”.
Significance
Although the tomb had been unfinished and had sustained damage throughout the centuries, the ceiling yielded new information about astronomy, chronology, mythology, and religion in Egypt because of the incorporation of all these elements as a means of connecting the divine to the mortal world.Egyptian astronomy consisted of the identification of the heavenly bodies in the sky and their connection with the deities that were believed to play a role in religious mythology and practice.
Astronomical ceilings bore significant symbolism for the Egyptians as they combined divine religion with more earthly aspects of daily life such as agriculture and labor. The detailed depiction of astronomy and deities illustrates the Egyptians desire to understand the heavens and the attempt to apply that understanding to the gods that they believed influenced all aspects of life.
According to Joanne Conman, the universe was seen as sacred to the Egyptians and, therefore, depictions were highly religious and cherished. The North served as the direction of eternity, immortality, and celestial rebirth because it is where Re
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
is rejuvenated.
The assimilation of these elements insured that the Egyptian calendar would differ from the ancient calendars of the Sumerians and the Babylonians. Otto Neugebauer suggests that the complexity of Egyptian calendars:
- "represents the peaceful coexistence of different methods of defining time moments and time intervals in different ways on different occasions."
The use of astronomical calendars was not limited to ceiling tombs as they appeared on coffin boards, water boards, temples, and various other surfaces and objects.