At a Glance
- A new study by Dr. Or Graur explores the possibility that the ancient Egyptian goddess Nut symbolically represented the Milky Way in some visual depictions on funerary objects.
- Graur identified a rare undulating black curve across Nut’s body on the coffin of Nesitaudjatakhet, which resembles the Great Rift seen in the Milky Way galaxy.
- This unique feature suggests that while Nut traditionally symbolizes the sky, her imagery may include specific astronomical elements like the Milky Way alongside stars and the Sun.
- The research highlights how ancient Egyptian mythology and astronomical observations may have been intertwined in artistic and religious representations.
- By blending artistic and textual evidence, the study offers new insights into how ancient Egyptians viewed and mythologized the cosmos concerning celestial structures.
A new study by Dr. Or Graur, an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth, offers fresh insights into the ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut and her potential connection to the Milky Way. Nut has long been depicted as a goddess arched across the sky, often with stars scattered across her body. In his research, published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Dr. Graur examines the visual depictions of Nut on ancient Egyptian coffins and explores whether she could have represented the Milky Way.
Dr. Graur found something striking in the artwork on the coffin of Nesitaudjatakhet, an ancient Egyptian chantress. Unlike typical depictions of Nut, which show her without any divisions across her body, this particular coffin features a unique undulating black curve cutting across Nut’s body. The curve between the stars on her body strongly resembles the Great Rift, a dark band of dust that splits the bright band of the Milky Way. This feature, not seen in other depictions of Nut, suggests that ancient Egyptians may have used this imagery to represent the Milky Way.
The research connects this visual representation to understanding Nut’s role in Egyptian mythology. While Nut is traditionally seen as a symbol of the sky, Dr. Graur argues that the Milky Way is not necessarily synonymous with Nut. Instead, it is one of many celestial features that could be associated with Nut’s expansive role. The rarity of the undulating curve in the depictions reinforces this idea, showing that Nut’s body could be decorated with various astronomical elements, including the Sun, stars, and the Milky Way.
Dr. Graur’s study adds to a growing body of work investigating the links between ancient mythology and modern astronomy. His previous research on ancient Egyptian texts, such as the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, has suggested that the Milky Way could highlight Nut’s importance in the sky. His current research, combining textual analysis and artistic depictions, provides a new angle on how ancient Egyptians may have interpreted the night sky and connected it to their beliefs about the cosmos.
References
- Leahy, D. & University of Portsmouth. (2025, April 30). Depictions of the Milky Way found in ancient Egyptian imagery. Phys.Org; University of Portsmouth. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-depictions-milky-ancient-egyptian-imagery.html
- Graur, O. (2025). The ancient egyptian cosmological vignette: First visual evidence of the milky way and trends in coffin depictions of the sky goddess nut. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 28(1), 97–124. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.140-2807.2025.01.06
