Dendera zodiac

What it is

The Dendera zodiac is a sculpted bas-relief found on the ceiling of a chapel dedicated to Osiris within the Hathor temple at Dendera. The artwork features images of Taurus and Libra alongside other celestial bodies. It is considered a complete map of an ancient sky. The relief shows constellations in both Greco-Roman and Egyptian forms. For example, Aquarius appears as the flood god Hapi holding water vases. The circular design is unique in ancient Egyptian art. Most other zodiacs in the same temple are rectangular. The sculpture includes figures representing asterisms and decans used for tracking time.

Where it comes from

The chapel containing the zodiac began construction during the late Ptolemaic period. The portico was added later by Emperor Tiberius. Jean-François Champollion dated the work to the Greco-Roman era. Other scholars initially believed it belonged to the New Kingdom. Modern analysis suggests a date around fifty BC based on planetary configurations. The depiction matches astronomical events like solar and lunar eclipses recorded in the relief.

Tools and materials

The central disc focuses on the north pole star. Ursa Minor is shown as a jackal. Four women and falcon-headed figures hold up the sky disc. The outer ring contains thirty-six figures for night hours and ten-day weeks. The square frame aligns with the temple walls. The materials involve stone carving techniques typical of the period. The imagery combines Babylonian star chart elements with local Egyptian additions.

What it is for

The zodiac serves as an astronomical record. It tracks planetary movements and eclipse dates. Scholars view it as a basis for later astronomy systems. It reflects the religious and scientific knowledge of its creators. The placement in a temple links celestial observation to spiritual practice. It acts as a permanent calendar and sky map.

Peoples and places

The artifact originates from Egypt. It is associated with ancient Egyptian culture and religion. Today it resides in France. The removal involved French agents during the Napoleonic campaign. Vivant Denon documented the site before its extraction. The controversy over its age involved European intellectuals. The debate included estimates ranging from thousands to hundreds of years.

How scholars and sceptics see it

The dating controversy is known as the Dendera Affair. Joseph Fourier estimated an age of twenty-five hundred BC. Georges Cuvier placed it between one hundred twenty-three and one hundred forty-seven AD. Sylvie Cauville and Éric Aubourg used planetary data to argue for fifty BC. They identified specific eclipses depicted in the relief. The solar eclipse marks March seventh, fifty-one BC. The lunar eclipse indicates September twenty-fifth, fifty-two BC.

Law and persecution

Sébastien Louis Saulnier commissioned Claude Lelorrain to remove the circular zodiac. Tools included saws, jacks, scissors and gunpowder. The piece moved to Paris in eighteen twenty-one. Louis XVIII installed it in the Royal Library. It transferred to the Louvre in nineteen twenty-two. In twenty twenty-two, Zahi Hawass petitioned for its return to Egypt.

Questions people ask about Dendera zodiac

Good reading and sources

• Dendera zodiac on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data