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_The Lion (Leo) was known in the New Kingdom_ -  Part 1  Part 2

© Robert G. Bauval 2002


_Astronomical Drawings of the New Kingdom: The Northern Constellations_



In the tomb of SETI I, the northern portion of the astronomical ceiling
the artist depicted the sky as seen looking north and panning from east
to west (right to left) going from the Hippopotamus [5] to the Bull [9]
and the Lion [8]. We know with certainty that the Hippopotamus is our
constellation of Draco, and that the Bull (sometimes also a Bull's Thigh
or Leg) is our constellation of Ursa Major (Great Bear/Big
Dipper/Plough). But what constellation is the figure of the 'Lion'?



Fig. III.69 Arrangement of the northern constellations on the
astronomical ceiling of Hall K of the tomb of Seti I (cf. Figs III.65b
and III.65c). Taken from Neugebauer and Parker, /Egyptian Astronomical
Texts/, Vol. 3 Texts, p.188, Fig. 31, but with bracketed numbers added.

The image below shows the northern portion of the sky, but this time
with Draco/Hippopotamus in the western area and the 'Lion' in the
eastern area. The celestial pole, according to many authorities, is
represented by the hand of the Hippopotamus figure holding the rope that
is linked to the rear of the Bull. This spot was once occupied by Alpha
Draconis, the ancient pole star.


Fig. III.71a Mirror image of the northen constellations as given in the
tomb of Seti I (cf. Fig. III.69) with the circles (representing stars)
connected by heavy lines. Prepared by Biegel, /Zur Astrognosie der alten
Agypter/, Fig. 6a, after p. 36. (numbers 2, 5 and 9 depict the
Hippopotamus, Bull and Lion respectively).

The image (below left) depicts the northern portion of the sky on the
Circular Zodiac of Denderah. It can be clearly seen that it is the same
arrangement as Fig. III.71a above, except that the image has been simply
'flipped' round thus having the Lion looking towards the Hippopotamus
and not away as in the Denderah Zodiac. It is nonetheless quite obvious
that the Lion in Figs. III.69 and Fig. III.71a is the same as that shown
in the Denderah Zodiac, and which has long been identified to our
constellation of Leo.

The sketch (below right) shows a reconstruction of ancient sky c. 1350
BC with Denderah Zodiac figures superimposed.