A black curve on the body of a goddess, stars painted on both sides … What if the ancient Egyptians had represented the Milky Way, long before modern astronomers?
An astral trace on a coffin: the Milky Way drawn on the body of Beside ?
It all starts with a coffin. Not just any. That of Nesitaudjatakheta singer ofAmon-way having experienced about it 3 000 ans. It is kept at Odessa Archaeological Museumin Ukraine. This coffin drew the attention of a astrophysicist Not like the others: Or graurprofessor at theUniversity of Portsmouth.
So what intrigues her? A Large corrugated black curvepainted on the body of the goddess Beside. She stretches from the feet to her fingers. She follows the arc of the body of the divinity. On both sides, stars. Lots of stars. Graur sees it as a striking analogy with the Large flaw of the Milky Way. It is this dark band of dust that split the clarity of nocturnal skywell known to astrophotographes.
However, it is not a simple intuition. Indeed, the researcher analyzed 125 Nout representations on more than 500 ancient Egyptian coffins. Ce wavy patternalthough exceptional, returns in some prestigious tombs of the Valley of Kings. For example, in those of Ramsets you or from Séthi I. There too, similar curves cross the ceiling decorated with Book of day and night.
How the goddess Beside embodies the starry sky and inspire modern researchers
If this discovery fascinates, it is also because it is anchored in a rich tradition. Indeed, in the Egyptian mythology, Beside is there Sky goddess. Each evening she swallowwears it in his belly all night, then the Give back to the world every morning. It is represented nuecurved above the earth. His body is stars. One figure at a time cosmic et protector.
In 2024But Graur had already explored the links between Beside and the Milky Way. For that, he had relied on the Ancient texts : Pyramid texts, SARCOPHAGE TEXTS, Nout Bookamong others. He then proposed a seasonal reading of the sky. Thus, in winter, the Milky Way would underline the Trendy arms of the goddess. In summer, its spine.
Today, with this New visual studyhe refines his thesis. Nout does not represent the Milky Way. On the other hand, the latter, like the soleil or the starscan adorn your body inasmuch as heaven. In other words, we must qualify: the Milky Way is not a divinity, but a pattern among others in the celestial fresco of the Egyptian cosmology.
This project, Graur leads it with passion. He was inspired by a Museum visit with her daughters. The latter, fascinated by this arched woman Full of stars, have continued to ask questions. “Who is it?” Why is she like that? »» And this is how a child’s question can lead to the Rediscovery of ancient heavens.
Rediscover the Milky Way through the eyes of ancient Egyptians
The next time you look up in a Pure night skythink of Beside. Maybe between the light arms of the Milky Wayyou will distinguish this protective ark. This ancestral silhouette that may have guess the ancient Egyptians. In short, this is one more proof. THE ciel has always been a page on which thehumanity likes to write her myths.
