Author Description

Ancient Egyptian science developed under the patronage of the god of wisdom and writing Thoth from very early on. Scribes, priests and administrative staff composed scientific texts that helped them to fulfil their duties and preserve their knowledge for the following generations. Today only a few of these texts are known, as most of the documents written by ancient Egyptian scholars have not withstood the test of time. The present volume focuses on three specific branches of ancient Egyptian scientific knowledge: mathematics, medicine and astronomy. The book at hand not only deals with the preserved documents, but aims concomitantly to indicate and illustrate the practical use and importance of these sciences for Egyptian society. In contrast to today's understanding of science, scientific knowledge represented in ancient Egypt a means, not a goal in its own right. It was a tool of the administrators and priests who participated in managing the country and its resources in the name of pharaoh. In essence, Egyptian scientific knowledge had a single goal: to preserve the life created by the gods and the cosmic order. Mathematics allowed for precise planning and organisation, astronomy was a means to control both space and time, while medicine preserved life itself. The great respect in which ancient scholars and authors held Egyptian scientific knowledge is apparent from the fact that they still turned to Egyptian culture for inspiration several millennia later. Book in Czech.