On the ceiling of an ancient Egyptian temple, an amazing series of relief paintings showing the zodiac signs has been discovered.
The site, which was built as the Temple of Esna, was dedicated to the ram-headed god Khnum and was covered in ornamental art, including one of the most comprehensive Egyptian star charts ever found.
Researchers discovered reliefs depicting the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars as well as a group of constellations known as the decans, which were used to gauge the passage of time during the night, in addition to the whole zodiac.
The 12 constellations that make up the zodiac are roughly located along the ecliptic, the path that the sun takes through the sky over the course of a year.
Representation of decans, zodiac signs used to measure the twelve hours of the night. Image credit: Ahmed Emam, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The zodiac constellations, also known as star signs, are believed to have been introduced to Egypt by the Ancient Greeks.
In a statement, Dr. Daniel von Recklinghausen from the University of Tübingen said that the zodiac was "used to decorate private graves and sarcophagi and was of considerable importance in astrological literature, such as horoscopes found etched on pottery sherds."
Nonetheless, it is uncommon in temple decoration; aside from Esna, there are just two examples that have been preserved in their entirety, both of which are from Dendera.
All that is left of the Temple of Esna is a substantial entryway made of sandstone, which Claudius the Roman Emperor erected in front of the principal building in the first century CE.
The several amazing paintings that cover the chamber have been painstakingly exposed and restored over the past few years by von Recklinghausen and his colleagues.
The mud layer that has shielded and conserved the vibrant embellishments for over two millennia has kept them in superb shape despite their age.
Of course, this layer has also hidden the photographs, and scientists are using the gentlest methods possible to remove the dirt in order to expose the pictures without harming them.
The researchers discovered an inscription in 2020 that had newly unknown names for ancient Egyptian constellations.
Representation of the constellation Scorpio, after restoration and re-coloring. Image credit: Ahmed Emam, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
For instance, the Big Dipper was shaped like a bull's leg and was called after the evil god Seth.
While Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky and a member of the Canid Majoris constellation, was given its name after the Egyptian goddess Isis, the constellation Orion was linked to the god Osiris.
A series of beautiful frescoes depicting the serpent goddess Wadjet and the vulture goddess Nekhbet were discovered in 2022 after additional repair work.
Together with the recently discovered zodiac, researchers also discovered drawings of fantastical creatures like a four-winged bird with a snake's tail and a crocodile's head.
Though there is still a lot of muck to be removed and more than half of the ceiling has been rebuilt, the crew is sure to find more amazing paintings in the years to come.
