August 17, 1893] 



NA TURE 



37' 



THE ASTRONOMICAL HISTORY OF ON 

 AND THEBES. 



II. 



T N relation to the extract from Briigsch, given in the 

 ■l last article, to the effect that there was one series of 

 monuments with its starting point in the Delta, it must 

 be emphatically stated that the results obtained from 

 these monuments, studying them from the astronomical i 

 point of view, leads to a very different conclusion. In- 

 stead of one series there are distinctly two, absolutely ; 

 dissimilar astronomically, and instead of one set of 

 temple-builders going up the river there were two sets : 

 one going up the river building temples to north 

 stars, the other going down building temples to 

 south stars ; and the two streams practically met at 

 Thebes, or at all events they were very fully represented 

 there. 1 



The double origin of the people thus suggested on ( 

 astronomical grounds may be the reason of the name of 

 " double country," used especially in the titles of kings, of 

 the employment of two crowns, and finally of the sup- 

 posed sovereignty of .'■"et over the north, and of Horus 

 over the south divisions of the kingdom.' 



With regard to the start point of the temple-builders | 

 who came down the river, there is no orientation evidence, 

 for the reason that there is little or no information from 

 the regions south of Naga. At Naga (lat i6° i8' N.), 

 Meroii (lat. i6' 55' N.), Gebel Barkal and Nuri (both in 

 lat. 18" 30' N.), there is information of the most important ' 

 kind, but beyond Naga there is a gap; but since important ' 

 structures were erected at the places named in, I think, 

 early times (3-4000 B.C.), it is probable that the 

 peoples who built them stretched further towards the 

 equator. j 



With regard to the southern limits of Egypt in the time ! 

 of Thotmes, it is supposed that the south frontier Kali of j 

 the inscriptions is probably connected with Koloe in 

 4° 15' N. lat. according to Ptolemy. - 



The authority for the general statement I have made 

 rests upon the probable dates I have found for the first 

 foundations of the temples of both series (N. and S. 

 stars) which I have investigated, and here I must restate 

 that in almost every case that foundation precedes the 

 generally-received date, which generally has reference to 

 a stone building ; while in all probability the first structure 

 was a brick shrine merely, and in support of this view I 

 may state that the looking after ruined shrines was re- 

 cognised as one of the duties of kingship. 



" I have caused monuments to be raised to the gods ; 

 I have embellished their sanctuaries that they may last to 

 posterity ; I have kept up their temples ; I have restored 

 again what was fallen down, and have taken care of that 

 which was erected in former times." ' 



Not only did Thotmes III. find the original temple of 

 Amen-Ri'i built in brick, but he found the temple at 

 Semneh in brick also, and he rebuilt it in memory of 

 Usertsen 111.' 



I have prepared a table which it is not necessary to 

 give in this place. I bring together the foundation 

 dates I have found most probable, bearing the above and 

 many other consi lerations in mind. The dates are, of 

 course, only provisional, since local data are in many cases 

 wanting. Where no information is forthcoming as to the 

 height of the horizon visible along the temple axis, I 

 have assumed hils i' high. 



The following general conclusions may be drawn from 

 the table : — 



I. At the earlier periods there are well-marked epochs 

 of temple-building revealed by the table. 



Brugsch, " HUtory," p. 6, 2 Brugsch, '' Egypt," p 184. 



* Inscription of ITiotmes HI., translated by Brugsch, ''Egypt," p. 188. 



* lirugsch, "Egypt," p. iS.j. 



II. The temples to the north stars, a Ursse Majoris 

 and y Draconis, begin in the Delta. 



III. The temples erected to the southern stars (a Cen- 

 tauri and Phact) begin at Gebel Barkal, Phila?, and 

 Thebes almost simultaneously. 



IV. The first north star temples for the worship of Set 

 and Ptah were erected between 5400-4200 B.C. The 

 series is then broken till about 3500. 



V. The first south star temples (Phact at the summer 

 solstice and a Centauri at the autumnal equinox), begin 

 about 3700 B.C. 



VI. y Draconis replaces a Ursaa Majoris at Denderah,. 

 and north star temples are for the first time erected in 

 the south at Karnak and Dakkeh in 3500 B.C. 



VII. For the first time about 3200 b c, N. a.id S. 

 star temples are built simultaneously. 



VIII. After this the building activity is chiefly limited 

 to temples to southern stars. 



If we take Brugsch's dates, we finrl that the founda- 

 tions of the greatest number of temples were laid about 

 the time of Seneferu, Pepi, and the twelfth dynasty. The 

 more modern kings founded few temples, their function 

 was that of expanding, restoring, and annexing. Even 

 Thotmes HI. seems to have laid no new foundations 

 except perhaps that of the Ptah temple at Karnak, and 

 that is doubtful. 



This after all is not to be wondered at. Three thousand 

 years of observations at least had shown that the stars 

 were not to be trusted to fix a festival day, and the true 

 astronomical user of the ancient temples had quite passed 

 awav. Still the ancient shrines were there, what more 

 natural then, than to embellish them ? The priests, by 

 insisting upon the vague year had reserved to themselves 

 a perfect means of hiding all festival difficulties for once 

 in 1460 years; the old star would rise on the proper 

 day of the Egyptian month, although it would be no 

 longer visible in the temple. Indeed it is extremely 

 probable that we have here the real reason of the priestly 

 action. They were not fools, and they could, one would 

 think, have had no belter reason than this. 



The wonderful Hall of Columns called Khu-mennu 

 (splendid memorial), in the temple of Amen-Rfi, was dedi- 

 cated by Thotmes III. not only to Amen-Ra, but to his 

 ancestors. It is interesting to note who these were in 

 the present connection. I give them with Brugsch's 

 dates.' 



B c. 



Seneferu 37^6 



Asi=a 3366 



Pepi 3233 



The Antefi 25°° 



The inost famous sovereigns of the 



twelfth dynasty 2433—2300 



30 princes of the thirteenth dynasty 2233 



Of these ancestors, the first limited himself to southern 

 temples, the majority, built near Pepi's time, were south 

 temples. The twelfth dynasty was more catholic. 



The m>re we continue it, the more interesting does this 

 inquiry into the north star temples as opposed to the 

 south star temples become. 



These considerations are not limited to the temples, 

 they apply also to pyramids. 



At Gizeh we find both temples and pyramids oriented 

 east and west. 



At Gebel Baikal, Nuri, and Meroc in Upper Egypt, we- 

 find both temples and pyramids facing south-east, and at 

 the former place, where both exi^t together, we find 

 well maiked groups of pyramids connected by their 

 orientations with each temple. 



In the following tables I give the values for Meroe^ 

 Nuri, and Gebel Barkal : — 



1 r. rg ch, 



SVP'- p- 



NO. 1242, VOL. 48] 



