Ancient Egyptians looked to the stars
The stars that are in the sky today influenced the Egyptians in the past.
The use of astrology will be discussed at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Conference Room, Room 4440, in Booth Library.
The presentation “Bringing the Sky down to Earth: Astronomy in Ancient Egypt” is part of the “A Futuristic Look Through Ancient Lenses: A Symposium on Ancient Egypt” series.
This presentation is sponsored by the Lumpkin School of Business and Applied Sciences, the School of Technology and Booth Library.
David Linton, an instructor of physics and astronomy, said he will be talking about the influence of the stars on ancient Egyptians.
Linton said the Egyptians used the stars as a calendar, to tell when the flood was going to start, and for aligning their buildings.
“The contributions to the foundation of modern science that the Egyptian culture made thousands of years ago is important,” Linton said
According to Linton, the Egyptians were the first culture to create a 365-day calendar with each year starting on the first day of the flooding of the Nile River.
Unlike the Babylonians, the Egyptians did not record what happened in the sky, such as the solar eclipses.
The Egyptians also used the stars as a way of telling when the flooding of the Nile River would begin.
The Egyptians waited until the Nile flooded, which happened in July, before they would plant their crops.
The priest and the Pharaohs would watch the sky for the position of the star Sirius to foretell the flooding.
The priest and the Pharaohs often did not tell the public that they foretold the time of the flood based on the position of Sirius.
“They were a bit more secretive about their knowledge of astronomy than the Babylonian, because it suggested there was a desire to keep the populace supportive of the Pharaoh and their priest,” Linton said. “They could benefit from having the secrets they were using to foretell the floods to secure their place in society.”
Linton said he received the idea for his presentation from all of the research he has done over the years on the history of astronomy.
Linton said he hopes the students find the influences that ancient Egyptians had on today’s society.
“I hope they receive a better understanding of the contributions to modern science that the Egyptians made,” Linton said.
Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812
