Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

540

Date

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Art History

Concentration

Egyptian Art and Archaeology

Committee Chair

Patricia Podzorski

Committee Member

Lorelei Corcoran

Committee Member

Nigel Strudwick

Abstract

Astronomical and cosmological tomb scenes found in New Kingdom tombs consist generally of three parts:scenes depicting the celestial diagram, including the northern constellations, tables listing star or decan names, sometimes known as star clocks or calendars, and cosmological texts which help to explain the religious, philosophical, and funerary significance of these scenes. During the 20th Dynasty, new types of star tables began to appear in conjunction with new cosmological funerary texts and novel ways of showing the celestial diagram. This thesis examines the relationship these scens and the accompanying texts, as well as the underlying religious and philosophical context of their development. It is my conclusion that the Ramesside period star tables do not represent natural hours or timekeeping devices at all, but serve as a means of illustrating the cyclicality and eternal recurrence of time in the afterlife.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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