NATS 1745 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Dresden Codex, Kukulkan, Tropical Year
12 May 2016
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Contained things absent from visible world, deceased, stars, sun after set. Two principle god/goddess: nut (sky god) and ra (sun god) Universe to egyptians always existed in a timeless way. They made accurate observations of stars: important star is sothis (known today as sirius). Sothis" mother was isis and father was osiris. Appearance of sothis marked the flooding of nile (nile would flood every year) Heliacal" rising- when it rose, as sun was setting- it indicated nile would flood. They had 3, four month seasons: inundation/flood season, growth/emergence season, harvest/low water season. Also got out of step- year is 365 days. Also measured hours: 36 rising stars (18 for day, 18 for night- these are called decans) 18 decans marked interval from sunset to sunrise. Shafts (2500bc) made through pyramid and certain stars were shown: sirius, orion belt, beta ursor minor, alpha draconic. Also interested in omens, they said mars was evil star and jupiter was lucky.
