The Astronomical Ceiling-Decoration in the Tomb of Senmut (XVIIIth Dynasty)

Bibliographic Data

ID3676957
AuthorsAlexander Pogo (corresponding author)
Year1930
Volume14
Issue2
Pages301-325
Publication date1930-10-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueIsis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-1753 • E-ISSN: 1545-6994
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1086/346509
OpenAlexW2093648800
LanguageEN
Citations received3

The recently discovered astronomical ceiling-decoration in the tomb of Senmut (XVIIIth dynasty; about 1500 B.C.) follows, in general, the same prototype as the well-known ceiling in the Ramesseum (XIXth dynasty; about 1250 B.C.); the ceiling of Seti I (XIXth dynasty; about 1300 B.C.) follows a different tradition. Both traditions contain elements of different antiquity. Important new features of the Senmut ceiling are the 12 monthly circles subdivided into 24 hourly sectors (unfinished ≪ monthly star-charts ≫ ?), and the two ≪ meridian cords ≫ (connected with the ceremony of the ≪ stretching of the cord ≫ involving the observation of an upper culmination of Zeta Ursae Majoris?). For a tentative identification of several stars and constellations represented in the circumpolar group of the northern panel or mentioned in the decanologue of the southern panel, a celestial globe was used. The precession of the equinoxes was taken care of by the drilling of several pairs of polar holes; the latitude of Thebes was taken as the altitude of the pole. A repetition of the experiment in a Zeiss planetarium is suggested. The possibility of an exact dating of the three ceilings of the XVIIIth and XIXth dynasties by the use of their planetary data is pointed out

Ancient history · Ceiling (cloud · Geography · Meteorology · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Geology · Historical and Architectural Studies · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies · History

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