The last stage

  Astronomical ceiling of the Senemut tomb. Every civilization has developed methods to mark the passage of time and the changing of seasons. Ancient Egypt was no exception, and there are notable features of their calendar system that shed light on broader aspects of their societal and religious life. This calendar is referred to as the Sothic calendar, named after the star Sothis, also known as Sirius. It's important to clarify that Egyptian years were not measured from a fixed point, such as the birth of Christ or the Roman's Ab urbe condita. Instead, years were counted from the accession of a king to the throne. Thus, the first year of a king's reign marked year one, and this count would reset with the accession of a successor. The impetus for establishing a calendar, or recognizing the need for one, typically stems from the necessity to measure and manage significant seasonal events or occurrences. In Egypt, no event was more critical than the annual flooding of the Nil...