Egyptian petroglyph writes a new chapter in zodiac history

A significant discovery has been made at a rock art site on the west bank of the Nile: a petroglyph depicting the sign of the zodiac, a crude image of a creature with the head of a goat and the body of a fish identified as Capricorn. A mythological figure representing the constellation of the same name. The discoverer of the petroglyph was Dr. Frederick Hardtke explained that it was located at al-Hosh, a site rich in petroglyphs and texts from periods including the Predynastic, Greco-Roman and Islamic periods. Zodiac symbols have never been attested in Egyptian rock art, making this image the only known example.

The discovery was published in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.

“The petroglyph appears to depict the head of a mammal with two ears or horns on its crown and a small beard on its chin, with a scaly, fish-like body and a fan-shaped tail,” said Hardtke, an Australian archaeologist at Macquarie University, “or possibly two short hairs.” leg,” he explained.

Dr. Linda Evans notes that the image is unique in pharaonic animal iconography. “We described it as a mythical animal in an earlier article, but after some research I realized it resembled a goatfish and then began researching its history and meaning as an astrological sign,” he said.

Another unusual chameleon-like figure was found next to the Capricorn petroglyph, making the panel mysterious. The similar style and close association of the chameleon rock art near Capricorn means that the two petroglyphs were probably produced at the same time, possibly by the same person.

The petroglyph is believed to have been produced between the 1st century BC and the end of the 1st century AD, coinciding with the introduction of Capricorn into Egypt during the Greco-Roman period. The petroglyph was probably produced before the 2nd century AD due to its depiction of a straight tail. The Roman looped-tail version of the Capricorn symbol became popular only after the early 2nd century AD.

The first appearance of something resembling Capricorn dates back to B.C. It occurred in Mesopotamia around 2112 BC. Sumerians and Akkadians adopted the figure of the goatfish to represent the god Enki, who was associated with Capricorn. To the Mesopotamians, their gods were manifestations of stars and planets; this included Enki and Ea, manifestations of the constellation Capricorn. Zodiacs and their connections spread from Mesopotamia to Greece in the 5th century BC and from there to Rome in the 1st to 2nd centuries AD.

Zodiac signs were known in Egypt by at least 300 BC; its earliest depictions were found on zodiac ceilings in Ptolemaic temples, including the temple of Montu and Rattawy at Armant, where zodiac signs were painted in the 1st century BC. The introduction of zodiac signs led to the widespread production of horoscopes in Egypt during the Greco-Roman period; Elite and non-elite Egyptians were probably aware of zodiac signs. The sudden interest in zodiac signs in Egypt was probably initiated by the Greeks or Romans, leading to the widespread production of horoscopes for both elite and non-elite Egyptians throughout the Greco-Roman Period.

The crude appearance of the petroglyph indicates that it was likely drawn from memory, possibly inspired by the carver’s exposure to the Capricorn symbol in temples, tombs, or coins. “We are confident that the petroglyph depicts Capricorn and was most likely produced during the Greco-Roman Period,” the researchers write. Given that desert people used the stars to navigate at night, the petroglyph may have been created as a navigation tool for the el-Hosh site, possibly indicating specific constellations. The petroglyph may have been made due to the spread of zodiacs into Egypt; The creator understood the importance of this and wanted to transfer the same importance to the rock.

Other evidence of the creation of petroglyphs during the Greco-Roman period, although less prolific, are examples of rock art using Greco-Roman motifs. “During this period we can find Greek inscriptions containing names and dedications to the gods, etc. Sometimes along with the texts there are also examples of figural depictions of gods and animals,” explained Hardtke. “Overall, it is worth noting that with the advent of writing in Egypt we observe a gradual decline in both the frequency and quality of illustrated rock art,” he added. This observation supports the idea that the crude execution of the petroglyph reflects its temporal context.

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The finding was reported by Phys.org, Gazeta.ru, Komsomolskaya Pravda and IFLScience, among other websites.

This article was written in collaboration with prolific artificial intelligence company Alchemiq.

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