The decans and Egyptian diagonal star clocks

Record summary

Egyptian decans were groups of stars or star-like celestial markers used in calendrical and funerary systems, represented in diagonal star tables on coffins and later in tomb and temple contexts. Research during the period compared their sequence, heliacal visibility, and relationship to night-time timekeeping. The corpus matters for tracing how sky observation became embedded in ritual and administrative practices. Exact identifications, chronology, and the degree of practical use remain debated, especially because copying and schematic conventions can preserve traditional sequences that no longer matched local skies.