Le Porte dell'Anno

Wall painting from the tomb of Sennedjem, artisan and high rank functionary, responsible of the works in the necropolis of Deir-el-Medina during the XIX dynasty (1317-1285 B.C.). The decoration, realized by the artisan himself during his spare time, represents scenes of everyday life and particularly of the agricultural works. According to a famous expression by Herodotus (II, 5) Egypt was for the Egyptians a gift of the Nile river: as a matter of fact, the entire prosperity of the country depended from the yearly flood of the Nile. Most of the rituals were timed on the sequence of the agricultural activities, which, on their turn, depended not only on the succession of the seasons, but mainly on the regular cycle of the river. The course of the year was marked by a lot of festivals, some of which were celebrated only in certain localities, while others were observed all through the country. Among the latter, particular importance was devoted to the New Year festival, which was performed in correspondence with the heliacal rising of Sirius (the appearance of the star in the eastern sky just before sunrise), an event that anticipated the Nile flood and occurred around the summer solstice (Remler 2010).

[Image: http://www.sofiaoriginals.com/may725pintura2.ht]




Seasonal Cycles

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Wall painting from the tomb of Sennedjem, artisan and high rank functionary, responsible of the works in the necropolis of Deir-el-Medina during the XIX dynasty (1317-1285 B.C.). The decoration, realized by the artisan himself during his spare time, represents scenes of everyday life and particularly of the agricultural works. According to a famous expression by Herodotus (II, 5) Egypt was for the Egyptians a gift of the Nile river: as a matter of fact, the entire prosperity of the country depended from the yearly flood of the Nile. Most of the rituals were timed on the sequence of the agricultural activities, which, on their turn, depended not only on the succession of the seasons, but mainly on the regular cycle of the river. The course of the year was marked by a lot of festivals, some of which were celebrated only in certain localities, while others were observed all through the country. Among the latter, particular importance was devoted to the New Year festival, which was performed in correspondence with the heliacal rising of Sirius (the appearance of the star in the eastern sky just before sunrise), an event that anticipated the Nile flood and occurred around the summer solstice (Remler 2010). [Image: http://www.sofiaoriginals.com/may725pintura2.ht]