Ancient Egyptian Science: A Source Book. Volume Two: Calendars, Clocks, and Astronomy

621 Pages·2004·50.57 MB·English

by  Marshall Clagett

Memoirs
aflM
ANrlcan Philosophial1 Sodtty
Held 01 Philadelphia
for Promoling UsifuJ Knowledge
Volume 214
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Copyrighl 1995 by !he American Philosophical Society for its
Memoirs series, Volwne 214
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ConI' WUltntioo: An'anj:emenI of the northern comtellatiOOl
on !he aauooomical ceiling of corridor 8 on the tomb of
Ramcsscs VI. Prom: NCUIebauer and Parter, Etyptkm
Astronomical TtxU, Vol. 3, Fig. 30.
Library of Congress CaIaloging in Publication Dati
Clagett, Marshall
Ancien! Egyptian Science, Volume 2
includes bibliography and iodellOes
iIIuslraled
ISBN 0-87169-214-7
I. Egypt 2. Science, anciem, hiliOf)' of
3. calenders. ancient 4. clocks, ancient
.........
ISSN: 0065-9738

PREFACE
Preface
This volume is the second of the three volumes on
Ancient Egyptian Science which I hope to complete. I
have not included everything which I projected for
Volume Two in the Preface to Volume One. The
chapter and documents regarding mathematics are
missing. It would have greatly increased the length of
the volume to have included them here and accordingly
I decided to shift them Volume Three. That shih
10
maKes no difference in the progression of subjects
originally planned for the whole worlc. for I believe that
the lack of theoretical discussions of mathematics by
the ancient Egyptians in their rudimentary science made
it imperative first to outline the principal uses of
mathematics by the dwellers on the Nile before
discussing its structure and content. One possible
benefit of including mathematics in Volume Three is
that it can be more closely related to my discussion of
Egyptian techniques of representing nature and within
that topic to appraisals of the ancient Egyptian lad: of
a direct angular or arcal measure to quantify stellar
displacements and thus produce more accurate celestial
diagrams. of the absence of an effective method of
geometric projection. and finally of their lack of any
extended use of perspective (which. however. surely
did not hamper their considerable artistic skilD.
The organization of the current volume is
self-evident. Again I have given a lengthy introductory
chapter which attempts to synthesize the three main
subjects included in the volume: calendars, clocks. and
astronomical monuments. It summarizes the principal
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