Milky Way's 'Dark River' Discovered in Ancient Egyptian Art
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An unusual depiction of the ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut may include a representation of the "Dark River" or "Great Rift"—the band along the Milky Way caused by dust clouds.
This is the conclusion of Professor Or Graur of the University of Portsmouth, England, who studies the multicultural mythology of the Milky Way. In a recently published study in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Graur analyzed over 100 images of Nut from 555 coffins dating back 5,000 years.
In many representations, Nut is imagined as a naked woman, often covered with stars or solar discs, arched over her brother, the Earth god Geb, invoking her association with the sky and protecting the Earth from chaos that lay beyond.
But something is different about how Nut was pictured on the outer coffin of the chantress Nesitaudjatakhet, who had been buried some 3,000 years ago. Cutting between the stars on her body weaves an undulating, black curve that runs from the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers.
The ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut as depicted on the coffin of Nesitaudjatakhet.
The ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut as depicted on the coffin of Nesitaudjatakhet.
Mykola Tarasenko; Odessa Archaeological Museum, NASU
"I think that the undulating curve represents the Milky Way and could be a representation of the Great Rift—the dark band of dust that cuts through the Milky Way's bright band of diffused light," said Graur, who added that the similarity was "stark," in a statement.
The astrophysicist notes that similar undulating curves can be seen in four tombs within the Valley of the Kings, the necropolis on the other side of the Nile from the modern city of Luxor.
"In the tomb of Ramesses VI, for example, the ceiling of the burial chamber is split between the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night," Graur said.
"Both include arched figures of Nut displayed back-to-back and separated by thick, golden undulating curves that issue from the base of Nut's head and travel above her back all the way to her rear."
Stock image of the Milky Way and the Dark River.
Stock image of the Milky Way and the Dark River.
CHAO-FENG LIN/iStock / Getty Images Plus
The present study builds upon Graur's previous work on ancient Egyptian depictions of the Milky Way, which examined assorted sources, including both the Pyramid and Coffin Texts and the Book of Nut, in comparison with simulations of the night sky as it would have appeared in ancient times.
"I did not see a similar undulating curve in any of the other cosmological representations of Nut," said Graur.
"It is my view that the rarity of this curve reinforces the conclusion I reached in a study of ancient texts last year, which is that although there is a connection between Nut and the Milky Way, the two are not one and the same."
Instead, the astrophysicist believes that the Milky Way is a cosmological phenomenon, just like the sun and stars, that can appear along Nut's body in her role as the sky.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about ancient Egypt or astronomy? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Graur, O. (2024). The ancient Egyptian personification of the Milky Way as the sky-goddess Nut: An astronomical and cross-cultural analysis. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 27(1), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2024.01.02
Graur, O. (2025). The ancient Egyptian cosmological vignette: First visual evidence of the Milky Way and trends in coffin depictions of the sky goddess Nut. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 28(1), 97–124. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.140-2807.2025.01.06
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