Evidence of Periodicity in Ancient Egyptian Calendars of Lucky and Unlucky Days

Bibliographic Data

ID6044505
AuthorsS Porceddu (0000-0002-7361-2644, Orion Corporation (Finland), corresponding author), L Jetsu (0000-0001-6418-5137, University of Helsinki), Tapio Markkanen (University of Helsinki), Jaana Toivari-Viitala (African Union)
Year2008
Volume18
Issue3
Pages327-339
Publication date2008-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCambridge Archaeological Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-7743 • E-ISSN: 1474-0540
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0959774308000395
OpenAlexW2156929237
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited4

This article presents an experiment in time series analysis, specifically the Rayleigh Test, applied to the ancient Egyptian calendars of lucky and unlucky days recorded in papyri P. Cairo 86637, P. BM 10474 and P. Sallier IV. The Rayleigh Test is used to determine whether the lucky and unlucky days are distributed randomly within the year, or whether they exhibit periodicity. The results of the analysis show beyond doubt that some of the lucky days were distributed according to a lunar calendar. The cycles of the moon thus played an important role in the religious thinking of the Egyptians. Other periods found using the Rayleigh Test are connected to the civil calendar, the mythological symbolism of the twelfth hour of the day and possibly the period of variation of the star Algol

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Art · Astronomy · Literature · Mythology · Physics · Rayleigh scattering · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Classics · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Geology · Paleontology

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