The Milky Way may have been painted across ancient Egyptian coffins thousands of years ago—and now, one scientist believes he’s found the evidence.
Dr. Or Graur, an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth, has combined his love for space with a deep dive into ancient Egyptian religion to explore how the starry sky was represented in their culture.
His findings, published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, suggest that a mysterious curved line seen on some ancient artwork could be one of the earliest visual depictions of the Milky Way.
In his study, Dr. Graur examined over 100 images of the sky goddess Nut, which were painted on 555 ancient Egyptian coffins.
Nut is often shown as a naked, arched woman stretching across the sky, her body sometimes decorated with stars or solar symbols.
According to Egyptian mythology, she swallows the sun each night and gives birth to it every morning, symbolizing the cycle of day and night. Her curved posture and star-studded form have long made her a symbol of the heavens.
But on one particular coffin—belonging to a woman named Nesitaudjatakhet who lived around 3,000 years ago—something unusual appears.
A dark, wavy line runs along Nut’s body, from her feet to her hands.
Above and below this line are evenly scattered stars. Dr. Graur believes this black curve could represent the Milky Way, specifically the Great Rift—a dark band of cosmic dust that divides the Milky Way’s glowing stripe in the night sky.
He found similar curves in murals from tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses VI. In these artworks, Nut is drawn on the ceiling with a golden undulating line traveling along her back, again suggesting a connection with the shape of the Milky Way.
Dr. Graur emphasizes that Nut herself is not the Milky Way, but that the Milky Way may have been used as a kind of decoration for her, just like the stars and sun. His view has developed over time.
In an earlier study in 2024, he explored ancient texts like the Pyramid Texts and the Book of Nut and suggested the Milky Way highlighted Nut’s presence in the sky throughout the seasons. Now, his study of visual depictions adds a new layer to the story.
This research is part of Dr. Graur’s broader project exploring how cultures around the world have understood and imagined the Milky Way. His curiosity began after a museum visit with his daughters, who were captivated by the image of a star-covered goddess.
Their questions inspired a journey through mythology and the cosmos, revealing surprising links between ancient beliefs and our modern understanding of the stars.
Source: University of Portsmouth.
