Re: Cocaine in ancient Egypt?

From: JMB (jmb_at_utvinternet.ie)
Date: 01/17/05 

Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 16:59:50 -0000

"University Studies" <gov-statistics@no.spam> wrote in message
news:a2SGd.3244$rs2.1438@trndny07...
> "a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
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>>
>> "I.E_Johansson" <inger_e.johansson@telia.com> wrote in message
>> news:1nQGd.14495$d5.121513@newsb.telia.net...
>> >
>> > "a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> skrev i meddelandet
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>> > >
>> > > "I.E_Johansson" <inger_e.johansson@telia.com> wrote in message
>> > > news:8dQGd.14494$d5.121621@newsb.telia.net...
>> > > >
>> > > > "a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> skrev i meddelandet
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>> > > > >
>> > > > > "I.E_Johansson" <inger_e.johansson@telia.com> wrote in message
>> > > > > news:hEPGd.14489$d5.121656@newsb.telia.net...
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > "a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> skrev i meddelandet
>> > > > > > news:hCPGd.158$tg2.57@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > > "University Studies" <gov-statistics@no.spam> wrote in
>> > > > > > > message
>> > > > > > > news:o5PGd.7581$qu2.3865@trndny08...
>> > > > > > > > Ancient Egypt was especially
>> > > > > > > > skilled at this. Thus, Ancient Egypt could grow far more
> crops
>> > > than
>> > > > > > > > neighboring kingdoms, and thus became far more powerful
>> > > > > > > > than
>> > those
>> > > > > > regions
>> > > > > > > > that couldn't.
>> > > > > > > >
>> > > > > > >
>> > > > > > > Or, of course, it could have been due to the Nile.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Or the other way round. The Egyptians needed knowledge of the
>> period
>> > > the
>> > > > > > Nile could be expected to be flooded. Thus they needed a
>> calenderic
>> > > > system
>> > > > > > to know what to expect. Or did I misunderstand you so that was
>> this
>> > > you
>> > > > > > meant?
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > The rise and fall of the Nile was measured by day counting and
>> > > observation
>> > > > > of graduated scales by the riverside that had been graded over
>> > > > > the
>> > > years.
>> > > > > The calendarisation of the Nile's rise/fall was very crude
>> > > > > indeed,
>> > being
>> > > > > mostly due to rainfall in Ethiopia, which didn't 'follow the
> stars'
>> > much
>> > > > > more than to the nearest month.
>> > > > > And, in fact, no calenderisation was needed. The Nile rose. It
> fell,
>> > > > leaving
>> > > > > its silt. New crops were planted. If its timing shifted by a
> couple
>> of
>> > > > > months or a couple of stars, no matter - apart from the
> possibility
>> of
>> > a
>> > > > > delay in food production.
>> > > > > Either way, nothing could be done or planned, whatever the stars
>> did.
>> > > > > But the proposition was that 'far more crops' were grown due to
>> > > > stargazing.
>> > > > > Codswallop.
>> > > >
>> > > > I guess you will have to take that up with some of my friends who
> are
>> > > > studying the older age's starmaps and there importance. But of
> course
>> > not
>> > > > here not now and definitely not under this subject line.
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > > Nothing to take up. I suspect we agree. The ancients had star maps.
> They
>> > > might have been important in practical application, maybe navigation.
>> > > But not in raising and lowering the Nile.
>> > > This was the matter under discussion on this post, and I answered it.
>> >
>> > You wouldn't agree. They tend to say that the Nile-flooding as well as
> the
>> > Tigris and Eufrat's seasonal differences were one of the main reasons
> for
>> > the starmaps to be used in the calenderic system. It was you know. But
> as
>> > said other subjectline before we continue on this one.
>> >
>>
>> Then I'd like to know how and why. It would have been totally impractical
>> and useless. And it's certainly not how they did it 'on the ground'. The
>> 'nileometers' are still there.
>> Most certainly they used the stars to great accuracy - but for
>> calculating
>> extremely precise directions, the Tropic of Cancer being at Aswan, the
> fact
>> that the earth was spherical, etc., etc.
>> The stars were also used to fix the start of each calendar year.
>> But the Nile's rise and fall was too variable to calculate, and still is.
>> Simple as that.
>
> This is true. The rising of the Nile couldn't be predicted with great
> accuracy by the stars.
>
> But, the highly reputable touregypt.net website states that the Ancient
> Egyptians did use the star Sirius as a "predictor of the recurring flood".
> http://www.touregypt.net/magazine/mag03012001/magf1.htm
>
>

That's a travel agents site. Hardly conclusive evidence as to the workings
of the AE calendar. And even there, it acknowledges that there can be a
range of 80 days, so Sirius was not much of a predictor. 

-- 
John Byrne
www.iol.ie/~archaeology
To email me use the feedback form on the website.
The address attached to this post is just a spam trap.

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