Latest news with #Graur
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
These 5000-year-old Egyptian coffins depict the Milky Way galaxy, astrophysicist says
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Ancient depictions of the Egyptian sky goddess Nut may represent one of the earliest visual interpretations of the Milky Way galaxy, a new study suggests. In a recent study, astrophysicist Or Graur analyzed 125 images of Nut (pronounced "Noot") across 555 ancient Egyptian coffins dating back nearly 5,000 years. In only a few depictions, however, Nut is shown with a black curve bisecting her star-studded body. Graur says that curve could be an early depiction of our home galaxy. "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," Graur, who is an associate professor at the University of Portsmouth and research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, said in a statement. "Comparing this depiction with a photograph of the Milky Way shows the stark similarity." In these depictions, Egyptian goddess Nut can be seen arching over the Earth god Geb, forming the sky. With her hands and feet touching the horizon, her body forms a protective dome over the world. According to Egyptian mythology, Nut swallows the sun god Ra each night and gives birth to him each morning, symbolizing the solar cycle. Nut is often covered in stars in Egyptian imagery, representing the night sky and, in some instances, possibly the twinkling arc of the Milky Way stretched across the skies above Earth. However, Graur argues that while there appears to be a connection between Nut and the Milky Way, the two are not one and the same because the sky goddess is not always drawn with the dark undulating curve believed to represent the galaxy's Great Rift. RELATED STORIES: — The ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky and how I used modern astronomy to explore her link with the Milky Way —What did ancient humans know about astronomy? —Strange anomaly in sun's solar cycle discovered in centuries-old texts from Korea "Nut is not a representation of the Milky Way," Graur added. "Instead, the Milky Way, along with the sun and the stars, is one more celestial phenomenon that can decorate Nut's body in her role as the sky." This builds on Graur's initial study published last year connecting Nut and the Milky Way, and is part of a larger project focused on multi-cultural mythology of the Milky Way. Graur's latest findings were published April 30 in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.
Egypt Independent
06-05-2025
- Science
- Egypt Independent
Oldest depiction of Milky Way discovered on Ancient Egyptian coffin
An Associate Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, Or Graur, discovered what is believed to be the oldest known depiction of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian art. Driven by his passion, Graur led a major project documenting mythological representations of the Milky Way across civilizations, RT reported. The celestial bodies were associated with several Egyptian deities. The scientist studied 125 images of the goddess Nut (the goddess of the sky) on 555 Egyptian coffins dating back approximately 5,000 years. He published the results of his study in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. In these images of the night and day sky, the goddess Nut appears as a nude woman sitting in a bow-like position, sometimes adorned with stars. Nut was believed to protect the Earth from floods and also played a pivotal role in the solar cycle. Graur believes this wavy line represents the Milky Way and points to the so-called 'Great Divide,' a dark dust band separating the bright parts of the galaxy. 'When you compare this drawing to a modern image of the Milky Way, there's a striking similarity,' he noted. Similar wavy lines appear in four tombs in the Valley of the Kings. In the tomb of Ramesses VI, the ceiling is divided into the 'Day Book' and the 'Night Book,' both featuring arched figures of Nut separated by swaying golden lines. The scientist explained, 'I have not observed a similar line in any of the other cosmic representations of Nut, which reinforces my belief that while Nut and the Milky Way are related, they are not one and the same. Nut is not the embodiment of the Milky Way; rather, the Milky Way is one of the celestial phenomena that adorn her body.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient Egyptians drew the Milky Way on coffins and tombs, linking them to sky goddess, study finds
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Starry paintings found on ancient Egyptian coffins and tombs indicate that the sky goddess Nut was closely associated with the Milky Way galaxy, according to a new study by an astronomer. While Egyptologists have long believed Nut was connected with the Milky Way, this new study helps support the idea. Or Graur, an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., examined 125 depictions of the goddess Nut (pronounced "Noot") on coffins and tomb walls that are up to 5,000 years old. A few of these paintings were unusual in their detail, Graur reported in a study published April 30 in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. In many depictions of Nut, the goddess is shown naked and arched over the sky, sometimes with stars and solar disks over her body. This posture shows her connection with the sky and her protection of Earth below, according to a statement from the University of Portsmouth. But the unusual paintings showed another aspect of her identity. For instance, on the outermost coffin of a chantress (a person who performs religious prayers) named Nesitaudjatakhet, there is a depiction of Nut lying down. Her body is covered in stars, and there is "a thick, undulating black curve that bisects Nut's star-studded body and recalls the Great Rift that cleaves the Milky Way in two," Graur wrote in the study. "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," Graur said in the statement. Related: 'Everything we found shattered our expectations': Archaeologists discover 1st astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt Graur noted that similar undulating waves appear along with images of Nut in the decorations of four tombs in the Valley of the Kings. For instance, the ceiling of Ramesses VI (who ruled circa 1143 to 1136 B.C.) has two back-to-back images of Nut that are "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," Graur said. The fact that some paintings depict Nut with these undulating waves suggests a close association with the Milky Way, Graur said. The ancient Egyptians may have believed that this association helped her protect the Earth, Graur wrote. Geb, an Egyptian god who represents the Earth, is sometimes seen underneath the arched Nut, he wrote in the study. RELATED STORIES —Gorgeous paintings of ancient Egyptian goddesses revealed under layers of bird poop —Ancient New Year's scene from Egypt uncovered on roof of 2,200-year-old temple —Sunken temple and sanctuary from ancient Egypt found brimming with 'treasures and secrets' Nut was also associated with all other aspects of the day and night sky. "We should not think of the Milky Way as a representation of Nut," Graur wrote in the study. "Instead, we should think of the Milky Way as one more astronomical phenomenon that, like the stars and the Sun, are part of the sky and hence a part of Nut." The finding is not new to Egyptologists, but it's important to have the same interpretation from an astronomer's point of view, said Rogério Sousa, a professor of Egyptology and ancient history at the University of Lisbon in Portugal. "I can say that I agree with the identification between Nut and the Milky Way proposed by Or, which has always been implied by Egyptologists," Sousa told Live Science in an email. "But Or being an astronomer [gives it an] astronomical input."
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Milky Way's 'Dark River' Discovered in Ancient Egyptian Art
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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@ 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. 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.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tomb art suggests Egyptian sky goddess wore the Milky Way galaxy
The deities of ancient Egypt oversaw virtually every aspect of existence, with gods and goddesses representing mundane daily activities all the way up to the cosmos itself. But the sky-goddess Nut (pronounced 'Noot') had one of the most important roles. Nut literally stood over her earth god brother, Geb, protecting him from the void's floodwaters. She also was pivotal to the solar cycle, swallowing the sun at dusk only to rebirth it every morning. According to evolving research from the University of Portsmouth in the UK, Nut may also have had yet another important association: with the Milky Way galaxy itself. His latest theories are laid out in a study published on April 30 in the Journal of Astronomical History Heritage. Astrophysicist Or Graur first became interested in Nut's origins while conducting research for a book on galaxies. In exploring various cultures' Milky Way mythologies, Graur was struck by ancient Egyptian written sources that referenced the galaxy, such as the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and the Book of Nut. After comparing their descriptions with simulations of how the Egyptian night sky looked during those eras, Graur published an initial study in 2024 arguing Nut and the Milky Way were intertwined—perhaps even physically. Specifically, he contended the winter sky manifested in the deity's outstretched arms, while her backbone showcased the summer heavens. Graur spent the next year diving even deeper into the theory, reviewing 125 images of Nut depicted across 555 Egyptian coffins from nearly 5,000 years ago. While often illustrated as a naked woman clad in stars, certain examples stood out for their differences. 'The texts, on their own, suggested one way to think about the link between Nut and the Milky Way,' Graur said. 'Analysing her visual depictions on coffins and tomb murals added a new dimension that, quite literally, painted a different picture.' For example, a coffin belonging to the Amun-Re chantress Nesitaudjatakhet shows an undulating black curve crossing Nut's body from her fingertips to her feet, with a relatively equal number of stars on either side of the curve. Graur believes that this archway of stars is meant to represent the Milky Way. 'I think that the undulating curve… 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,' he said. Graur also pointed to similar curvatures seen in four tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including the one belonging to Ramesses VI. He reigned from the mid-to-late 12th century BCE and his burial chamber ceiling is halved between the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night. Both depictions include back-to-back, arched figures of Nut separated by golden curves spanning from her head all the way down her back. However, this particular curvature variation was otherwise rare in Graur's Nut artwork survey, which he says strengthens the larger theory. 'Although there is a connection between Nut and the Milky Way, the two are not one and the same,' he said. 'Nut is not a representation of the Milky Way. Instead, the Milky Way, along with the Sun and the stars, is one more celestial phenomenon that can decorate Nut's body in her role as the sky.' The new hypothesis goes beyond providing a more nuanced look at the Egyptian pantheon—it's great material for bedtime tales. 'My interest [in Nut] was piqued after a visit to a museum with my daughters, where they were enchanted by the image of an arched woman and kept asking to hear stories about her,' said Graur.
