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License Agreement on scientific materials use.
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Early Egyptian small-scale art in the context of the formation of the calendar-astronomical system
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Alexandra Vadimovna Mironova
State Academic University for the Humanities, Moscow
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Submitted:
May 4, 2026
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Abstract.
The article analyzes the iconography of small-scale art objects from the Predynastic and Early Dynastic periods as a source for understanding the principles behind the formation of Ancient Egypt’s calendar-astronomical system. The research aims to identify the connection between the subjects found in small-scale art (knife handles, combs, palettes) and early concepts of the celestial sphere and festive culture. The author argues that hunting and battle scenes, as well as sequential rows of animals on these objects, served as markers of the annual cycle: they recorded the vernal equinox, the heliacal rising of Sirius, the summer solstice, and the Nile inundation. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the revelation and decoding of calendar-astronomical meanings integrated into the Ancient Egyptian visual canon of the pre-literate period. The study establishes that the development of iconography (themes of hunting, battles, and animal predation scenes) was based on a strict synchronization of earthly rituals with observations of the constellations Taurus, Leo, Canis Major, and Orion. In the Archaic era, the ruler’s triumph over the forces of chaos was interpreted as a guarantee of maintaining cosmic order and the timely arrival of the flood. Comparing these subjects with the astral motifs of the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin Texts, and New Kingdom star maps allows these archaic monuments to be viewed as the oldest astronomical documents in Egyptian history.
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Key words and phrases:
календарно-астрономическая система
раннеегипетская малая пластика
архаический изобразительный канон
праздничная культура
астрономические документы
calendar-astronomical system
Early Egyptian small-scale art
archaic visual canon
festive culture
astronomical documents
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