Identification
Title Ramesseum (Second Hypostyle Hall)
Type Astronomical Representation
Decan List Family AR1
EAT3 Number and Name 8 Ramses II A
EAT3 Pages and Plates 17-18, Pl 5
EAT3 Decan List Family Senmut A
Publications Nelson and Hoelscher (1929) vol VI Pl. 478
Location In situ; Ceiling of Second Hypostyle Hall, Ramesseum, West Bank, Thebes
Date 19th dynasty

 

Content
Registers 3
Circumpolar Group and Deities Yes: 8 figures + ?king behind hippo ; 10 figures + king opposite
Planets

Superior: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars

Inferior: Mercury, Venus

Decan Names Yes
Decanal Stars Yes
Personifications of the Decans No
Cluster Numbers Yes
Depictions of Decanal Constellations Yes
Decanal Deity Names Yes
Decanal Deity Figures No
Lunar Months Yes: 12 figures labelled with the names of the lunar months
Civil Months Yes: along the top of the diagram, starting with III Peret on the right
Nut No
Other features In the middle of the lowest register, directly under the circumpolar group and Sahu and Sopdet, there is a depiction of a baboon sitting on a djed-pillar. This is a direct analogue to a typical water clock over-spout decoration.

 

Notes

The ceiling was carved and painted, although only traces of paint remain now. It is flanked by architraves, the inside surface of which are decorated with two processions of deities, including three personified decans.

Schematic

08RamsesIIA  schematic

 

Legend for Schematic
C Circumpolar group of constellations
A Circumpolar attendant deities
D Decans
P Planets
M Lunar months (figures and labels, with King offering)
X Other cosmic deities: a baboon sitting on a djed-pillar
Hippo symbol

Location and orientation of the circumpolar hippo

Human symbol

Indicates the starting point and directionality of list or procession of figures

 

Decan List

The list gives an approximate layout for how the decans, deities, cluster labels (x-nwt ẖt), and decanal figures (in bold) are arranged. However, the only way of perceiving the complete layout and orthography of the labels is by consulting photographs, drawings, or the original. For conventions and abbreviations, see below the table.

The layout of the list is very similar to that of the Water clock (Amenhotep III). However, the composition of decan and planet list differs in two important respects to that in the water clock and Tomb of Senenmut:

  1. The order of the Sahu decans
  2. The inclusion of the decan 34 rmn sꜣḥ
  3. The inclusion of the third superior planet, Mars

These three aspects caused Neugebauer and Parker to make a subgroup of the Senmut family that contained this representation and the Medinet Habu ceiling, plus one "procession" of planets and decans (Ramses II B, which contains only three decans). This subfamily is called "Senmut A" in EAT3.

1 tpy-ꜥ knmt Hapy, Imseti  
3 ẖry ḫpd knmt, 2 knmt Isis
4 ḥꜣt ḏꜣt, 5 pḥ ḏꜣt Duamutef, Children of Horus
6 ṯmꜣt ḥrt, 7 ṯmꜣt ẖrt Duamutef
8 wšꜣtꞽ, 9 bkꜣtꞽ Duamutef, Hapy
10 tpy<-ꜥ> ḫntt, 11 <ḫntt> ḥrt Horus
12 ḫntt ẖrt  
13 ṯms n ḫntt   Boat
14 sꜣptꞽ ḫnwy Isis, Nephthys
15 ḥry-ꞽb wꞽꜣ Horus
16 sšmw Horus
17 knmw Children of Horus
18 tpy-ꜥ smd Horus  
19 smd Hapy Sheep
20 sꞽt Isis, 3-nwt ẖt
21 sꜣwy sꞽt Duamutef
22 ẖry ḫpd srt Kebehsenuf  
23 tpy-ꜥ ꜣḫ<wy> Duamutef
24 ꜣḫw<y> Duamutef, Kebehsenuf
25 bꜣw<y> Hapy, Imseti 4-nwt ẖt
26 ḫntw ḥr<w>, 27 <ḫntw> ẖrw Children of Horus
28 ḳd, 29 sꜣwy ḳd Hapy, <Isis, 5-nwt> ẖt, 30 ḫꜣw, Children of Horus  
31 ꜥrt Eye of Horus
Sahu
33 ẖry rmn sꜣḥ Children of Horus
[35 sꜣḥ] Stars of Sahu
34 rmn sꜣḥ Eye of Horus
32 ḥry rmn sꜣḥ Children of Horus
36 spdt Isis Sopdet
SP1 ḥr-tꜣš-tꜣwy rn=f pt rsyt
Planet
SP2 ḥr-kꜣ-pt rn=f ḏꜣ pt ꞽꜣbty sbꜣ Planet
SP3 ḥr-ꜣḫty rn=f sbꜣ ꞽmnty sḳdd=f m ḫtḫt
Planet
A štwy   Turtles
B nsrw ẖt -pw  
C sšpt Horus
E ꜥbšs D hpds
F "stp" <nṯr wꜣš> Duamutef
IP1 sbg Horus
IP2 ḏꜣ bnw
Osiris Benu

The decan numbers and letters shown here are for the decan family AR1.

SP = superior planet

IP = inferior planet

Grey shading = damage

< > = omitted but understood

[ ] = damaged text

The number of star symbols accompanying the decans is also omitted here, as it is often impossible to tell to which decan the symbols refer. EAT3 deals with star symbols in some detail.