To disseminate the results of one's research, to share them,
it is not enough to write articles then publish them on various media.
It is also necessary to travel, to meet one's peers and the general public.
Symposia and scientific events have been designed for this purpose.
The interest in the topic covered explains the number of presentations made.
Title : « The sky and the gods in ancient Egypt »
Speakers: Anne-Sophie von Bomhard, Egyptologist / Karine Gadré, Astronomer / Bernard Arquier, Egyptologist
Organization: « Les amis de la Cité de l'Espace » association
Summary : In Egypt, traces of astronomical activity date back to 5000 BC. At Nabta Playa, nomadic peoples erected several megalithic complexes close to human burial sites, orientating them towards the north, the rising positions of the solstitial sun, of the star Sirius and of the stars of the Orion constellation. The cultural foundations had been laid, which would be adopted by the nascent Pharaonic civilization as early as the third millennium: for the deceased, the quest for eternity would henceforth consist in joining the stars and their cycles. To assist in this, the hieroglyphic names of the Sun, the decanal stars and the imperishables, as well as their respective movements, were engraved on the walls and ceilings of tombs and sarcophagi, alongside the names of the associated divinities. The southern and northern skies were depicted separately until the Greco-Roman period. The circular zodiac that decorated the temple of Hathor at Denderah is one of the precious witnesses to this ultimate syncretism.
To trace the birth and evolution of this celestial imagery over the millennia, Egyptologists have studied the historical context and linguistic content of each of the archaeological remains, while astronomers have developed realistic digital simulations of the ancient Egyptian sky based on data acquired during recent space missions: Hipparcos / Gaia, Copernicus / Sentinel, etc.
Title : « What are the limits of science ? »
Summary : During this evening, various scientific topics have been addressed on the basis of thirty or so photographs taken in the Occitanie region: the creation of the world, the content of our Universe, the inner structure of our planet, the transition from the inert to the living, the evolution of life on Earth, the creation of archaeological databases as well as our perception of the beyond. Each of these research areas is hampered by a limit - of cultural, experimental, statistical, or ethical nature, that past and modern scientists constantly push(ed) in order to extend always more our field of knowledge - in other words, our understanding of Mankind and of the surrounding Nature. More info ...
Title : « What are the limits of science ? »
Summary : This debate was part of « The science in question » cycle initiated by the Popular University of Philosophy of Toulouse. It was moderated by Eric Lowen, philosopher and Director of the Popular University of Philosophy of Toulouse. During the debate, seven scientific topics were addressed: the creation of the world, the content of our Universe, the inner structure of our planet, the transition from inert to living, the evolution of life on Earth, the constitution of archaeological databases and our perception of the afterlife. Twenty photographs taken in the Land of Oc' constituted the main support of discussion. More info ...
Title : « Giordano Bruno, a man of science ? ∽̱
Summary : On October 9, 10 and 11, 2014 were held, as part of La Novela Festival, the Giordano Bruno Days at the Natural History Museum of Toulouse. Three days of exchanges between artists, historians, philosophers and scientists around the historical figure of Giordano Bruno. On Saturday, October 11, Karine Gadré led a roundtable between Sylvie Vauclair, astrophysicist, Alain Blanchard, cosmologist, and Philippe Solal, philosopher, about the life and work of Giordano Bruno.
Title : « Can science contribute to peace? »
Summary: The French Federation of Unesco Clubs organized a moment of reflection and exchange on the contribution of science to peace in the world. Four speakers from the scientific community of Toulouse shared their points of view on this crucial subject for our common future: Karine Gadré, astronomer and director of the company Culture Diff', Jean-Michel Hupé, researcher in neurosciences at the CERCO laboratory (University of Toulouse and CNRS), Anita Meidani, teacher-researcher in sociology at the LISST CERS laboratory (University of Toulouse) and Cyrille Delpierre, researcher in epidemiology at INSERM. The debate was moderated by Hélène Amblard, journalist and writer. More info ...
Summary : On the occasion of this new edition of the Festival of Science, the Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) has opened its doors to the public. Nearly 500 people attended scientific lectures, experiments, and visited the new white rooms of the laboratory where were exhibited some of the works conceived by Carolle Schutz, an artist graduated from the School of Art in the Pyrenees. Art and Science have also been the subject of a debate between Carolle Schutz, Peter von Balmoos, astrophysicist at the IRAP, and the public. The debate was moderated by Karine Gadré, co-organizer of the Festival of Science at the IRAP. More info ...
Title : « The making of heaven »
Organizer: City of Toulouse
Summary : This roundtable, moderated by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Delfour, brought together researchers in the humanities and exact sciences: historians, anthropologists, astronomers. It formed part of the day devoted to ancient astronomy organized within the Festival La Novela. More info ...
Title : « The tango of the stars »
Organizers / Authors : The associations Les Chemins Buissonniers and IntermiDanses invite you to a tour between dance and astronomy, a scientific and poetic trip in the heart of a solar system in the process of forming, with Karine Gadré, Astronomer and Jorge Saraniche, musician, accompanied by the storyteller Jean-Michel Hernandez.
Summary : The tango of the stars evokes the danse of the celestial bodies. This movement, as well as that of the dancers, results from a constant search for balance between the opposing forces that govern them: gravitation on the one hand, radiation on the other hand. Gravitation is responsible for the collapse of interstellar matter, the birth of stars and their trail of rocky (planets, asteroids) and gaseous (planets, comets) bodies, their respective movements as well (shape and inclination of orbits, collisions). Radiation is responsible for the stellar pulsations, the ionization of interstellar matter, and is essential to life. This dance party will guide you step by step on the way to the creation of a solar system and the emergence of life on other Earths, visibles from the sky of Savères ...
The scientific and illustrated content of this Art & Science show is available in French here.
Title : « The place of women in science today »
Abstract : This round table was organized at the Maison de la Philosophie of Toulouse on the occasion of the International Day of Women's Rights 2013. It was part of a symposium on the theme « Women and Science » which brought together five women scientists (Olga Antonova, Mariotti Françoise Marie-France Barthet, Véronique Lizan, Karine Gadré) and a philosopher (Eric Lowen, Director of the Maison de la Philosophie of Toulouse).
Title : « The role of cosmology in the culture and history of science »
Abstract : This round table, held at the Cité de l'Espace, Toulouse, France, in the dual framework of the Scientific Days of the Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) and the 50th anniversary of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has brought together four researchers: Alain Blanchard, Professor of physics at the University Paul Sabatier of Toulouse, astrophysicist at IRAP ; Philippe Solal, philosopher at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) ; Carlo Rizzo, Professor of Physics at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse ; and Eric Lowen, philosopher, Director of the House of the Philosophy of Toulouse. The discussion first focused on the contribution of the philosophers and philosophy to the scientific thought from Antiquity to the Middle Ages ; then, with the development of instrumentation, on the development of theoretical and observational cosmology ; finally, the current place of philosophy in science was discussed: an essentially ethical role, the goal of philosophy being to find the path of wisdom.
Title : « Space data : tools for modern Archaeoastronomy »
Abstract : The Egyptian Expedition, led by Napoleon Bonaparte at the very end of the eighteenth century, led to the rediscovery of the Egyptian civilization: its art, its history, its writing, its pantheon, ..., its knowledge of the sky and the objects filling it as well, as testified by the many monuments (pyramids, temples, ...), texts (related to the heliacal rising of Sirius, for example) and other reliefs (stellar clocks, astronomical ceilings) characterized by a particular astronomical orientation or content. The qualitative study of these remains has revealed some of the major astronomical achievements of this civilization: the differentiation of the celestial objects (Sun, Moon, planets and stars), the establishment of the solar cycle to 365 days, the definition of the lunar month of 29 days, the division of the day and night into twelve hours each, the categorization of the stars (the "imperishables", the decans) and the planets (Venus and Mercury on the one hand, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn on the other hand) on the basis of their respective positions and "behaviors" (movements) on the local celestial vault. The quantitative study of the archaeological remains that we have now has led to a better knowledge of the Egyptian chronology, to the mapping of the southern sky of ancient Egypt, to the determination of the astronomical source of the best-preserved religious and funeral buildings ... This type of study is based upon the use of numerical models which combine various astrometric and photometric parameters in order to reconstruct at best the visibility conditions of a celestial object in the night or twilight sky of ancient Egypt. The combined use of these astrophotometric models and of digital elevation models, built from altimetric data, will soon lead to reconstitute the observed astronomical reality within the local topographic context, at the epoch considered. Thus, space data gradually integrate modern archaeoastronomical approach ...
Title : « Astronomy and Archaeology : two paths to the past »
Abstract : This oral presentation aims, at first, to explain the similarities between Astronomy and Archeology as well as their differences ; in a second step, to detail the "product" of the crossing of these two disciplines: Archaeoastronomy or the study of the astronomical orientation, content, of archaeological remains, using modern methods. More info ...
Note : The full program of the festivities related to the Inauguration of IRAP is available on download here.
Title : « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy and Space Archaeology »
Abstract : This lecture was intended to introduce the IRAP researchers to the ongoing Culture Diff' projects : the making up of two Web interfaces devoted, the one to Egyptian ArchaeoAstronomy, the other one to Space Archaeology. These Web interfaces will comonly consist in a set of information resources (space images, articles, books, thesis, etc.), in the description of the archaeological remains discovered using satellite imagery and / or of interest on an archeoastronomical plane, in a set of software resources (softwares leading to analyze and process spatial images, softwares useful to Archaeoastronomy, etc.), in a collaborative workspace (mailing list, tweets, wiki) between members of each project, in an area of publication of the results, validated or being validated. The aim is to promote the growth of these two disciplines by providing researchers coming from exact science and the humanities all necessary tools.
Title : « From Egyptian ArchaeoAstronomy to Space Archaeology »
Abstract : This lecture aims at demonstrating that the introduction of collaborations between social researchers (archaeologists, historians, linguists) and exact scientists (astronomers, space engineers) on the one hand, the introduction of scientific tools (space imagery and numerical models) within social studies on the other hand, can lead to the development of new research areas : space archaeology and archaeoastronomy, in this case. Space Archaeology leads to the discovery of remains which were unknown because located below a luxurious vegetation, below modern cities or below the earth surface. These remains can then be studied on the archaeoastronomical plane. The common objective is a better knowledge of the considered people.
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy and Space Archaeology: two fields issued from crossing archeology, astronomy and space technology (2/2) »
Abstract: This oral presentation is a continuation of the lecture made at the ESACT on November the 16th (see below). At first, I will present recent developments in Egyptian Archaeoastronomy and Space Archaeology which result from exchanges between archaeologists, historians, linguists, astronomers and engineers, on the one hand, the crossing of tools, methods coming from archeology, astronomy and space sector, on the other hand. In a second time, I will detail the projects of the Culture Diff' company which aim at promoting the growth of Egyptian Archaeoastronomy internationally and the growth of Space Archaeology in Toulouse, France. More info ...
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy and Space Archaeology: two fields issued from crossing archeology, astronomy and space technology (1/2) »
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian Archeology has uncovered many remains which show a specific astronomical orientation or content: temples, tombs, bas-reliefs, texts, etc.. The study of these remains from the archaeological, historical, philological and astronomical (using numerical models combining various astrometric and photometric parameters) sides allows a better understanding of the astronomical culture of the Egyptian civilization and leads to reconstruct the beginnings of observational astronomy. In recent decades, astronomical observations are carried out both from the ground and from space, using telescopes equipped with multi-sensor wavelengths. Meanwhile, space archeology has grown, giving archaeologists a global, multi-dimensional and multi-wavelength vision of the Land of Egypt. The acquisition and the processing of space imagery has led to a major development of existing astronomical and archaeological databases. The crossover of actors, methods and tools of archeology, astronomy and space sector today lead to the establishment of Virtual Observatories and Virtual Expeditions.
Title: « Astronomy and Archaeology: two paths towards the past »
Abstract: The objectives of astronomy and archeology are to understand and reconstruct the history of the universe and humanity through the systematic study of remains - stars (planets, stars, galaxies, etc.), artefacts (objects and infrastructure created by man) - which reflect their evolution since the Big Bang (~ -15 billion years) and the beginning of Prehistory (~ -5 million years) respectively. Longer collected at the surface of the Earth, these traces of the past are now also being observed and detected from space. Most of these astronomical and archaeological remains are invisible to the naked eye indeed, either because they are distant and not very bright or emit a non-visible radiation, either because they are buried beneath the surface of the earth, under modern cities or even in a lush vegetation. Then follows the completion of existing databases from distant stars that no longer exist or remain in another form, and artifacts damaged by time and men.
Title: « Astronomy and Archaeology: two paths towards the past »
Abstract: The objectives of astronomy and archeology are to understand and reconstruct the history of the universe and humanity through the systematic study of remains - stars (planets, stars, galaxies, etc.), artefacts (objects and infrastructure created by man) - which reflect their evolution since the Big Bang (~ -15 billion years) and the beginning of Prehistory (~ -5 million years) respectively. Longer collected at the surface of the Earth, these traces of the past are now also being observed and detected from space. Most of these astronomical and archaeological remains are invisible to the naked eye indeed, either because they are distant and not very bright or emit a non-visible radiation, either because they are buried beneath the surface of the earth, under modern cities or even in a lush vegetation. Then follows the completion of existing databases from distant stars that no longer exist or remain in another form, and artifacts damaged by time and men.
Title: « Astronomy and Archaeology: two paths towards the past »
Abstract: The objectives of astronomy and archeology are to understand and reconstruct the history of the universe and humanity through the systematic study of remains - stars (planets, stars, galaxies, etc.), artefacts (objects and infrastructure created by man) - which reflect their evolution since the Big Bang (~ -15 billion years) and the beginning of Prehistory (~ -5 million years) respectively. Longer collected at the surface of the Earth, these traces of the past are now also being observed and detected from space. Most of these astronomical and archaeological remains are invisible to the naked eye indeed, either because they are distant and not very bright or emit a non-visible radiation, either because they are buried beneath the surface of the earth, under modern cities or even in a lush vegetation. Then follows the completion of existing databases from distant stars that no longer exist or remain in another form, and artifacts damaged by time and men.
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh »
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc...
Title : « Danse e-Toile »
Abstract: La Novela presents the Dance e-Toile project: this artistic and scientific event offers a thematic exhibition (photo, video and music) and a unique choreography, Nataraja and the Cosmos, which causes the Indian classical dance Bharatha Natyam to interact, via the Web, with French contemporary dance, and takes place simultaneously at the Cité de l'Espace, Toulouse and at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. Nataraja and the Cosmos is an original art-science collaboration between Jean-Marc Matos and Anne Holst (choreographers, K. Dance Company) and Sharada Srinivasan (Indian scientific dancer, professor at NIAS, Bangalore) on the crossed subject: mythology of the body / stellar mythology. The show was followed by a presentation and an "on line" round table which aimed at comparing the Indians and Egyptians images of the sky and associated myths. Special Guest: Karine Gadré, Ph.D. in Astronomy, University of Toulouse. Live broadcast at http://www.x-reseau.fr/e-toile/
Title: "Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh"
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc. More info ...
Title: "Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh"
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc. More Info ...
Title: « The scientific process: birth, evolution and transmission »
This oral presentation was part of the Toulouse-Tarbes Astrophysics Laboratory's Presentation Day for Secondary School Teachers.
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh »
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc.
Title: "Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh"
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc...
Note : The video recording of this conference is available on the YouTube channel of the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées.
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh »
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc.
Title: « Egyptian Archaeoastronomy: the stars of Pharaoh »
Abstract: These two last centuries, Egyptian archeology has uncovered many vestiges which show a specific astronomical orientation or content. These are the Old Kingdom pyramids whose faces point towards the cardinal points, starlists which decorate the interior lid of sarcophagi and the ceiling of temples and tombs, several writings telling about the heliacal rising of Sirius under the Dynastic Period. The study of these remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints: place and time of the building of monuments or the design of starlists, visual acuity of the observer. These constraints are then applied to a model of visibility of stars with the naked eye, which combines astrometric and photometric parameters. Then follows the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of ancient Egyptian monuments, the mapping of the sky of ancient Egypt, the redefinition of the dates of the reign of some Pharaohs, a better understanding of cutting the night hours, etc...
Title: « Pre-Copernican Representations of the Universe »
Abstract: The Fourth Book Show dedicated to the History of Science and Technology was held on 21, 22 and 23 November 2008 at Ivry-sur-Seine. It gathered researchers, publishers, journalists, scientists and the public around a single theme: "Universe Stories - from the exploration of the universe to the space age". A round table devoted to the pre-Copernican representations of the universe gathered Karine Gadré, Jean-Claude Martzloff, Bernard Vitrac and Loïc Mangin on the 21st November at 14h.
The complete program of the Congress is available here.
Title: « Introduction to the methods of Archaeoastronomy. Application to Ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The recent development of models of stellar visibility in the night or twilight sky solves various problems related to Archaeoastronomy. Their use in the context of ancient Egypt has led to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the mapping of the constellations filling the southern sky of ancient Egypt, to the formulation of a new hypothesis about the orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and the temples of Isis and Hathor in Dendera. This presentation will provide the opportunity to detail a good way to solve these problems (through the establishment of archaeological and stellar databases, the design of models of visibility of stars with the naked eye, the applying of astronomical and egyptological criteria), as well as the results obtained.
Title: « Introduction to the methods of Archaeoastronomy. Application to Ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The recent development of models of stellar visibility in the night or twilight sky solves various problems related to Archaeoastronomy. Their use in the context of ancient Egypt has led to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the mapping of the constellations filling the southern sky of ancient Egypt, to the formulation of a new hypothesis about the orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and the temples of Isis and Hathor in Dendera. This presentation will provide the opportunity to detail a good way to solve these problems (through the establishment of archaeological and stellar databases, the design of models of visibility of stars with the naked eye, the applying of astronomical and egyptological criteria), as well as the results obtained.
Title: « Under the sky of ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The current work in the field of archaeoastronomy relies upon the making up of archaeological databases, the study of the astronomical orientation or content of the remains which they contain, the development of models of stellar visibility in the sky and the application, to the results provided by each model, of various astronomical and historical criteria. Applied to ancient Egypt, this approach leads to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and to the mapping of the old Egyptian sky.
Title: « Under the sky of ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The current work in the field of archaeoastronomy relies upon the making up of archaeological databases, the study of the astronomical orientation or content of the remains which they contain, the development of models of stellar visibility in the sky and the application, to the results provided by each model, of various astronomical and historical criteria. Applied to ancient Egypt, this approach leads to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and to the mapping of the old Egyptian sky.
Title: « Designing a model of star visibility to the naked eye. Application to the identification of decanal stars ». Author: Karine Gadré.
The defending of my thesis in front of a jury made up with six astronomers-physicists and one Egyptologist led to the award of the title Doctor in Astronomy of the University of Toulouse pass with the very honorable mention. Every details about the topic of my thesis and this day are available here.
Title: « Astronomy in the Time of the Pharaohs »
Abstract: The discussion about Egyptian astronomy was preceded by an introduction to the new methods of Archaeoastronomy and to their application to the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids.
This discussion, open to any public, was organized by the non-profit organization "Les Petits Débrouillards".
Title: « Astronomy in the Time of the Pharaohs »
Abstract: Introduction to the new methods of Archaeoastronomy and application to the determination of the astronomical source of orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids. Author: Karine Gadré.
This oral presentation was part of the Toulouse-Tarbes Astrophysics Laboratory's Presentation Day for Secondary School Teachers.
Title: « Introduction to the methods of Archaeoastronomy. Application to Ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The recent development of models of stellar visibility in the night or twilight sky solves various problems related to Archaeoastronomy. Their use in the context of ancient Egypt has led to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the mapping of the constellations filling the southern sky of ancient Egypt, to the formulation of a new hypothesis about the orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and the temples of Isis and Hathor in Dendera. This presentation will provide the opportunity to detail a good way to solve these problems (through the establishment of archaeological and stellar databases, the design of models of visibility of stars with the naked eye, the applying of astronomical and egyptological criteria), as well as the results obtained.
Title: « Introduction to the methods of Archaeoastronomy. Application to Ancient Egypt »
Abstract: The recent development of models of stellar visibility in the night or twilight sky solves various problems related to Archaeoastronomy. Their use in the context of ancient Egypt has led to the revision of the dates of the beginning of the reign of several pharaohs, to the mapping of the constellations filling the southern sky of ancient Egypt, to the formulation of a new hypothesis about the orientation of the Old Kingdom pyramids and the temples of Isis and Hathor in Dendera. This presentation will provide the opportunity to detail a good way to solve these problems (through the establishment of archaeological and stellar databases, the design of models of visibility of stars with the naked eye, the applying of astronomical and egyptological criteria), as well as the results obtained.
Note : The audio recording of this conference is available on the website of Radio Canal Académies.
Title: « The decanal stars : mythical stars »
Abstract: The ancient Egyptians believed in a life after death. According to them, the time necessary for the deceased to be reborn in the afterlife was 70 days. Many funerary texts consider this rebirth to the heliacal rising of a star whose yearly period of invisibility was then close to 70 days. Ninety stars are listed on the inside lid of sarcophagi, on the ceiling of temples and tombs dating from 2200 BC to 50 AD. The archaeological, philological and astronomical study of the content of these one hundred remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints of a model which combines celestial mechanics equations and visibility criteria of a star in the night or twilight sky of Ancient Egypt. This model allows us to identify everyone of the 90 stars to stars of the Hipparcos Catalogue - in other words, to draw up a map of the world beyond, as imagined by the ancient Egyptians. The applying of this model to the astronomical orientation of the pyramids of Egypt will also be discussed, as well as some ongoing research work.
Title: « The decanal stars : mythical stars »
Abstract: The ancient Egyptians believed in a life after death. According to them, the time necessary for the deceased to be reborn in the afterlife was 70 days. Many funerary texts consider this rebirth to the heliacal rising of a star whose yearly period of invisibility was then close to 70 days. Ninety stars are listed on the inside lid of sarcophagi, on the ceiling of temples and tombs dating from 2200 BC to 50 AD. The archaeological, philological and astronomical study of the content of these one hundred remains leads to the definition of spatial, temporal and optical constraints of a model which combines celestial mechanics equations and visibility criteria of a star in the night or twilight sky of Ancient Egypt. This model allows us to identify everyone of the 90 stars to stars of the Hipparcos Catalogue - in other words, to draw up a map of the world beyond, as imagined by the ancient Egyptians. The applying of this model to the astronomical orientation of the pyramids of Egypt will also be discussed, as well as some ongoing research work.
This show entitled « The Stars of Pharaoh » is the result of a collaboration with the Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse. It presents some of the Egyptian knowledge of observational astronomy in relation to various myths, against a backdrop of computer-generated images: the pyramids of the Giza Plateau, the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, the Jubilee Temple of Ramses II at Western Thebes, the Temple of Abu Simbel, etc. It has been shown on the screens of the Cité de l'Espace since January 2007 and has been available in sign language since April 2008.
This show entitled « From Atum to Hubble : a trip into the cosmos between past and present » is a collaboration with the non-profit organization Les Chemins Buissonniers, which regularly organizes meetings, lectures, performances combining imagination, creativity and the talent of artists and scientists.
Abstract: Behind words lie meaning... and sounds. Sounds are the resonance of words. Listening to Claude Nougaro, it would even seem that poetry is made up of sounds that have meaning. On this evening, which we hope will be poetic, the voices of the viola da gamba (Nathalie Estévenin) and singing (Luc Baron) will join those of science (Karine Gadré) to share with you the emotion associated with the rediscovery of four thousand years of human history. Four thousand years of evolution of thought, through the erection of stone buildings, the writing of hieroglyphic texts, ... As many vestiges whose astronomical orientation or content is revealed to you in the 2006 calendar, jointly produced by the company Culture Diff' and Les Chemins Buissonniers.
The inauguration of the INDETEC-Aegyptus, International Institute of Egyptology for the Study of Law, Technology and Science in Ancient Egypt, was the opportunity to make a lecture entitled « Identification of the decanal stars: a research work requiring the knowledge and skills of both Astronomers and Egyptologists ». This research work, carried out at the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Toulouse-Tarbes, was presented as the result of many collaborations between Astronomers and Egyptologists from around the world since last century. In this way, it illustrates the possible operating mode of the future AstroEgypto network which was introduced at the 56th Congress of ARCE, Boston, April 2005, and detailed within the Cahiers Caribeens d'Egyptologie n°7/8. More info ...
The holding in Toulouse of the symposium entitled « Pre and proto-dynastic Egypt. The origins of the state », was an opportunity to submit, to the Egyptologists attending the symposium, the idea of forming an international network made up with researchers into Astronomy and Egyptology, developed during the 56th Congress of ARCE in April 2005 and within the Cahiers Caribeens d'Egyptologie No. 7-8. Author: Karine Gadré. More info ...
This show-lecture organized by the non-profit organization Les Chemins Buissonniers, gathered a scientist (Karine Gadré) and two artists (Luc Barron and Nathalie Estevenin) around the theme of the creation of the world. Here is a short presentation: « Thanks to imagination, the gateway is easy to establish between Art and Science. Three voices intertwined, the Milky Way, the singing voice and the voice of the viola da gamba to say, sing and play the world's creation. The creation according to the ancient Egyptians: a myth, offset by current science. This journey through time and space will tell you the origin of life on Earth, the evolution of human thought over the millennia. It will demonstrate the ability of man to be excited, to understand and express wonder about the mysteries ... »
Each year, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) organizes a symposium on Egyptology. This 56th edition was the opportunity to introduce, to worldwide Egyptologists, the details of the project of making an international network of researchers in Astronomy and Egyptology, published in the 7th issue of the Cahiers Caribeens d'Egyptologie. Author : Karine Gadré.
Inauguration, in the presence of numerous journalists and several prominent Egyptian figures, of the planetarium show entitled « Stars of Egypt: In Search for the lost Temple », entirely dedicated to astronomy in ancient Egypt and designed in partnership with the Saint-Etienne Planetarium (Astronef). More info...
On the 16th October 2004, the Bibliothèque Intercommunale Muroise, a municipal library located near Lyon, at Saint Laurent de Mure, organized a show around ancient Egypt. A few of the great myths were first exposed by Anne Marchand, a professional storyteller. Then followed a lecture entitled « The creation of the world: Egyptian myths and scientific reality ». Author: Karine Gadré.
Each year, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) organizes a symposium on Egyptology. This 55th edition was the opportunity to introduce, to the worldwide Egyptologists, the latest research work into Astro-Egyptology and to propose a new form of collaboration between researchers coming from both disciplines. This lecture was entitled « Astro-Egyptology: a new research area involving both Astronomers and Egyptologists ».
This lecture was designed for the participants to the summer school of the Adagio Amateur Astronomy Association. For nearly three hours were discussed the following topics: the Egyptian calendars, the measurement of night time, the astronomical orientation of the pyramids of Egypt, the temple of Dendera and its zodiac.
The holding of this symposium which gathered, in Toulouse, worldwide astronomers, was an opportunity to present a poster entitled « The sky of ancient Egypt: a north-south differentiation ». This was a first approach to the North-South differentiation which characterizes the stellar clocks dating from the end of the First Intermediate Period, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom astronomical ceilings as well.
