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Which ancient Egyptian artworks include early depictions of constellation figures?
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Astronomical map
Star trails over banksia trees, in Gippsland, Vic., Austl. The south celestial pole, located in the constellation Octans, is at the centre of the trails.
Early depictions of constellation figures in ancient Egypt appear in several significant archaeological contexts:
- Coffin Lids: The earliest appearances of decans—36 star configurations—are found in drawings and texts inside coffin lids dating to the 10th dynasty (about 2100 BCE).1
- Tomb Ceilings: Decans are also prominently displayed on the ceilings of tombs belonging to Seti I and various pharaohs of the Rameses line in Thebes.1
- The Zodiac of Dandarah: This 1st-century BCE stone chart, found in the temple at Dandarah and now housed in the Louvre, is the most famous Egyptian star map. It illustrates both Egyptian decans and constellations, though it also incorporates elements of the Babylonian zodiac.1
While the Egyptians identified approximately 25 constellations—including figures like a crocodile, a hippopotamus, a lion, and a falcon-headed god—many of these representations are discordant. Only three have been identified with certainty: Orion (depicted as Osiris), Sirius (a recumbent cow), and Ursa Major (the foreleg or front part of a bull).1