Identification
| Title | Water clock (Nekau II) |
| Water Clock ID | WCO 2 (see catalogue of water clocks) |
| Type | Astronomical Representation |
| EAT3 Number and Name | 34 Necho |
| EAT3 Pages and Plates | 42-44, 152-3, Pl 22B and Fig 9 |
| EAT3 Decan List Family | Misc, but similar to Tanis |
| Publications | Montet (1946) |
| Location |
Egyptian Museum, Cairo; on display in Room P50 JE 67096a, b, and c (the three main fragments are labelled individually) |
| Date | 26th dynasty, time of Nekau II. The Museum label attributes is to Ahmose II (Ahmasis), but the readable traces in the cartouche strongly support a Nekau II identification. |
Content
| Registers | 3 |
| Circumpolar Group and Deities | Not preserved |
| Planets | None preserved |
| Decan Names | Yes |
| Decanal Stars | One per decan as a determinative only |
| Personifications of the Decans | No |
| Cluster Numbers | Yes |
| Depictions of Decanal Constellations | None preserved |
| Decanal Deity Names | Yes |
| Decanal Deity Figures | No |
| Lunar Months | Yes |
| Civil Months | None preserved |
| Nut | No |
| Other features |
The third (lowest) register contains the hours of the night. The spout of the water clock is situated below the figure of a baboon sitting on a djed-pillar. |
Notes
The fragments of this water clock preserve a small part of the decan list, two lunar months, and three of the hours of the night. Neugebauer and Parker calculated the dimensions of the orignal vessel would have been: 37 cm high, diameter 57 cm at top and 52 cm at bottom.
Schematic
The layout is unique. The top register contains the lunar months. Next come decan names, with a separate row for decanal deity names. Below that is a row of text addressed by the king to Amun (their figures are depicted in this row and part of the decanal deity row), and finally, the top part of a register of night hours is preserved.
See the drawing below for details.
Decan List
Neugebauer and Parker note that the decans preserved are consistent with Tanis. The orthography matches as well. However, the deities are different in all cases and unique to this list. The writing of sA qd is the oldest known instance of using sA instead of sAwy.
| Ha[py] | |
| [xntw] Hr[w] | Horus who burns |
| <xntw> Xrw |
Horus in his district xt <4-nwt> |
| qd |
Children of Horus |
| sA qd |
Hapy, Kebehsenuf |
|
Horus protector of his father |
|
|
Osiris bull of the west, foremost of his [ ] |
|
| (the heads of the king and Amun occupy this space) | |
| Anubis | |
As this decan list is unique, no decan numbers are shown.
Grey shading = damage
< > = omitted but understood
[ ] = damaged text
( ) = explanatory notes or additional material
Image
EAT3 Figure 9:
