A new astronomically based chronological model for the Egyptian Old Kingdom
Abstract
A recently discovered inscription on an ancient Egyptian ointment jar mentions the heliacal rising of Sirius. In the time of the early Pharaohs, this specific astronomical event marked the beginning of the Egyptian New Year and originally the annual return of the Nile flood, making it of great ritual importance. Since the Egyptian civil calendar of 365 days permanently shifted one day in four years in comparison to the stars due to the lack of intercalation, the connection of a date from the Egyptian civil calendar with the heliacal rising of Sothis is vitally important for the reconstruction of chronology. The new Sothis date from the Old Kingdom (3rd–6th Dynasties) in combination with other astronomical data and radiocarbon dating re-calibrates the chronology of ancient Egypt and consequently the dating of the Pyramids. A chronological model for Dynasties 3 to 6 constructed on the basis of calculated astronomical data and contemporaneously documented year dates of Pharaohs is presented.
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The correctness of the High and Low chronologies has been actively debated for more than a century.
“The correctness of these two alternatives, High and Low, has been actively debated for more than a century [1,26,29,30,34,35].”
From Resolution of the High versus Low debate for Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt (2025) · cites this paper as [26]
The stylistic features of inv. 5821 point either to the 6th Dynasty according to Günther and Wellauer's typology, if object Nr. 82 is the best fit, or to the Middle Kingdom according to Aston's typology, and the use of prt Spdt makes it doubtful that the inscription was carved before the Middle Kingdom.
“Although the authors claim that the object originates from the 5 th Dynasty [Gautschy et al. 2017, 71], its stylistic features point either to the 6 th Dynasty according to Günther and Wellauer's typology, if object Nr. 82 is the best fit, or to the MK according to Aston's typology, and the use of the term prt Spdt makes it doubtful that the inscription was carved before the MK.”
From Sothic Dating of the Egyptian Old Kingdom (2024) · cites this paper as Gautschy et al. 2017
Cites
EGYPTIAN SIRIUS/SOTHIC DATES, AND THE QUESTION OF THE SOTHIS-BASED LUNAR CALENDAR
Krauss, R. (2006) · Ancient Egyptian Chronology · doi:10.1163/9789047404002_030 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Der Stern Sirius im Alten Ägypten
Gautschy, R. (2011) · Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde · doi:10.1524/zaes.2011.0010 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
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Brockbals, L., Habicht, M., Hajdas, I., Galassi, F., Rühli, F., & Kraemer, T. (2018) · In Analysis · doi:10.1039/c8an01288a · Cited by 25
Self-citationHabicht, M. E., Bianucci, R., Buckley, S., Fletcher, J., Bouwman, A., Öhrström, L. M., Seiler, R., Galassi, F. M., Hajdas, I., Vassilika, E., et al. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166571 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationNile waterscapes facilitated the construction of the Giza pyramids during the 3rd millennium BCE
Sheisha, H., Kaniewski, D., Marriner, N., Djamali, M., Younes, G., Chen, Z.-Y., El-Qady, G., Saleem, A., Véron, A., & Morhange, C. (2022) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · doi:10.1073/pnas.2202530119 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Resolution of the High versus Low debate for Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt
Erdil, P., Webster, L., Kuitems, M., Knoblauch, C., Bestock, L., Höflmayer, F., Beeckman, H., Fuller, D. Q., Manning, S. W., & Dee, M. W. (2025) · PLOS One · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0314612 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Some scholars have argued for the possibility of Sothic-dated stone vessels from Dynasty V (OK); although these interpretations also remain speculative and open to debate [26,37].”
Gatto, M. C., & Siegel, O. (2024) · Old World: Journal of Ancient Africa and Eurasia · doi:10.1163/26670755-20240003 · Cited by 2
Pushing boundaries: Old Kingdom mummification revised
Ikram, S., Vymazalová, H., Hashesh, Z., Gabr, A., Quiles, A., & Megahed, M. (2023) · Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104272 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Multi-star target model for astronomical orientation of the Old Kingdom Egyptian pyramids
Пучков, А. П. (2023) · The Oriental studies · doi:10.15407/skhodoznavstvo2023.91.003 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Queen Meresankh III – the oldest case of bilateral Silent Sinus Syndrome (c. 2620/10 - 2570 BC)?
Habicht, M., Eppenberger, P., Galassi, F., Rühli, F., & Henneberg, M. (2018) · doi:10.26720/anthro.17.09.25.2 · Cited by 2
“Her lifespan is reconstructed from the death date in her tomb (1 st year, Shemu -season, 21 st day, probably under King Menkaure) and a new astronomical dating model, dating this year c. 2570 BC (Gautschy et al. 2017).”
Self-citationMovable wAgj and Numeration of Lunar days in Ancient Egypt
Puchkov, A. (2023) · The Oriental Studies · doi:10.15407/skhodoznavstvo2023.92.093 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Timekeeping at Akhet Khufu, as shown by the Diary of Merer
Sparavigna, A. C. (2024) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2411.08061 · Cited by 1
“Gautschy et al., 2017.”
Sothic Dating of the Egyptian Old Kingdom
Puchkov, A. (2024) · The World of the Orient · doi:10.15407/orientw2024.01.042
The 1 April 2471 b.C. Eclipse and the End of the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty
Magli, G. (2025) · The Heritage · doi:10.3390/heritage8110492
“Unfortunately, the first available registrations of Sothic dates come from the Middle Kingdom, so no Sothic anchor is yet available for the Old Kingdom (for a possible exception see [45]).”
Stucki, V. C., Schaik, K. V. V., Rühli, F., & Eppenberger, P. (2021) · Social Science Research Network · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3862446
Self-citation
- Authors
- Gautschy, R., Habicht, M. E., Galassi, F. M., Rutica, D., Rühli, F. J., & Hannig, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Basel (CH)
- Flinders University (AU)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
- Venue
- Journal of Egyptian History
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2017-11-17
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 69-108
- ISSN
- 1874-1657 (ISSN-L)
- 1874-1665
- OpenAlex
- W2773509258
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Egyptian History (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Ancient Egypt and Archaeology
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Historical Astronomy and Related Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Historical and Architectural Studies
- Keywords
- chronology, radiocarbon dating, Nile floods, astronomical dating
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