Archaeologists have discovered a painting of ancient Egyptian deities, created around 2,200 years ago, on the ceiling of the Esna Temple in Egypt.
The team of experts uncovered this remarkable artwork during a ceiling restoration project at the temple. The painting depicts Egyptian gods in a scene related to the ancient Egyptian New Year celebrations.
The Esna Temple, originally built about 2,200 years ago, underwent significant reconstruction 2,000 years ago, during the period when the Romans controlled Egypt.
In this painting, the ancient Egyptian deities Sopdet and Anuket are shown aboard a boat, while Nut, the sky goddess, is depicted swallowing the heavens above them—a scene that, according to ancient Egyptian mythology, represents the New Year celebration.
The figure of Orion, the hunter, is also illustrated as a constellation, while Sopdet is represented as the star Sirius. According to Kristin Litz, an Egyptology professor at the University of Tübingen, in ancient times, the night sky in Egypt was unobservable for 70 days each year. When the star Sirius reappeared in the eastern sky, that day was celebrated as the beginning of the New Year.
Around that time, the Nile River would begin its seasonal flooding. The ancient Egyptians believed that approximately 100 days after the appearance of Sirius, the goddess Anuket would push back the floodwaters of the Nile.
Litz explained in an email to Live Science that the ancient Egyptian New Year would have occurred in mid-July, according to today’s calendar.
This painting is the latest discovery at the Esna Temple. The temple’s ceiling paintings had remained hidden for nearly 2,000 years. Over the past five years, researchers have been cleaning and revealing a series of images, including constellations, depictions of ancient Egyptian gods, and over 200 inscriptions.
It appears that the temple was not dedicated to a single deity, and further studies are expected to provide more insight into its purpose and architectural design.
During the ceiling restoration, several other artworks were also preserved, including a striking image of a mythical creature with a ram’s head, a lion’s body, and four wings, symbolizing the southern wind.
Now that the ceiling restoration has been completed, researchers have begun cleaning the walls and columns of the temple, continuing their work to uncover its full historical significance.
Source: Live Science