MA2.GUR8 - Revision history

Ericmamajek: added mention of star name Magur adopted by WGSN

2026-09-20T15:51:21Z

added mention of star name Magur adopted by WGSN

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	[[File:NeoAssyrian Ship WallPanel Nineveh.png\|thumb\|Neo-Assyrian Ship,Wall Panel from Nineveh (British Museum: BM 124774,a; [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1851-0902-22-a?selectedImageId=1261294001 online])]]		[[File:NeoAssyrian Ship WallPanel Nineveh.png\|thumb\|Neo-Assyrian Ship,Wall Panel from Nineveh (British Museum: BM 124774,a; [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1851-0902-22-a?selectedImageId=1261294001 online])]]
	[[File:Quffah ancMesopot.jpg\|thumb\|ancient versus modern Quffah (CC BY Ensar Adıgüzel: both images CC0)]]		[[File:Quffah ancMesopot.jpg\|thumb\|ancient versus modern Quffah (CC BY Ensar Adıgüzel: both images CC0)]]
	<sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> (𒀯𒈣𒋽) = ''makurru,''<nowiki/>'the Barge' is a Mesopotamian asterism that is shaped like a river-barge in the area of [[Sagittarius]] and [[Corona Australis]] in the southern part of the Mesopotamian sky. Its shape can be verified by depictions of such barges in artwork, which show that both the prow and the bow of the barge might be pointed upwards at both ends, or decorated with a figurehead at the prow (at least in early times)<ref>Crossen, C. (2015) “The Very Ancient Origins of the Water Constellations”, Sky and Telescope, vol. 129, no. 3, p. 36.</ref>. The term is also used in astronomy for the gibbous Moon (CAD<ref>''The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.'' Chicago - Glückstadt, 1956 -...</ref> M<sub>I</sub> 142)'''''.'''''		<sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> (𒀯𒈣𒋽) = ''makurru,''<nowiki/>'the Barge' is a Mesopotamian asterism that is shaped like a river-barge in the area of [[Sagittarius]] and [[Corona Australis]] in the southern part of the Mesopotamian sky. Its shape can be verified by depictions of such barges in artwork, which show that both the prow and the bow of the barge might be pointed upwards at both ends, or decorated with a figurehead at the prow (at least in early times)<ref>Crossen, C. (2015) “The Very Ancient Origins of the Water Constellations”, Sky and Telescope, vol. 129, no. 3, p. 36.</ref>. The term is also used in astronomy for the gibbous Moon (CAD<ref>''The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.'' Chicago - Glückstadt, 1956 -...</ref> M<sub>I</sub> 142)'''''.'''''

			This asterism was the basis of the adoption of the name [https://ase.exopla.net/index.php/Magur '''Magur'''] for the star HR 6862 (HIP 90037, HD 168592) in Corona Borealis by the IAU WGSN in August 2026. The star is situated at the front tip of the river barge.

	==Concordance, Etymology, History<ref>[[Mesopotamian (All Terms)\|Planetarium Babylonicum 2.0]], All Skies Encyclopaedia.</ref>==		==Concordance, Etymology, History<ref>[[Mesopotamian (All Terms)\|Planetarium Babylonicum 2.0]], All Skies Encyclopaedia.</ref>==

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	**"The Star of Gemini (ziqpu IV: β Her) or the middle of Zababa (ν Oph),		**"The Star of Gemini (ziqpu IV: β Her) or the middle of Zababa (ν Oph),
	**the left hand of Pabilsag, which is on the bow (δ Sag),		**the left hand of Pabilsag, which is on the bow (δ Sag),
	**and the River-Barge (ε Sag), ~~the rope~~"		**and the River-Barge (ε Sag), a GU"
	**[Pingree-Walker 1988<ref name=":2">''Pingree D., Walker C.'' A Babylonian Star-Catalogue: BM 78161 / Fs. Sachs, 1988. P. 313-322.</ref>, BM 78161:27-28; Hunger-Pingree 1999<ref name=":3">''Hunger H., Pingree D.'' Astral Sciences in Mesopotamia. Leiden-Boston-Köln, 1999.</ref>, 93];		**[Pingree-Walker 1988<ref name=":2">''Pingree D., Walker C.'' A Babylonian Star-Catalogue: BM 78161 / Fs. Sachs, 1988. P. 313-322.</ref>, BM 78161:27-28; Hunger-Pingree 1999<ref name=":3">''Hunger H., Pingree D.'' Astral Sciences in Mesopotamia. Leiden-Boston-Köln, 1999.</ref>, 93];
	*(S) <sup>mul</sup>pa.bil.sag ˹''ša''<sub>2</sub>˺ ''ina'' ugu ma<sub>2</sub>.˹gur<sub>8</sub>˺		*(S) <sup>mul</sup>pa.bil.sag ˹''ša''<sub>2</sub>˺ ''ina'' ugu ma<sub>2</sub>.˹gur<sub>8</sub>˺

Sushoff at 05:09, 18 August 2026

2026-08-18T05:09:34Z

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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub>}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub>}}
			{{distinguish\|Magur}}
	Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}		Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
	----		----

Sushoff at 05:09, 18 August 2026

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	List of the stars of Ea (nos. 14, 15):		List of the stars of Ea (nos. 14, 15):

	* <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> ''u'' <sup>mul</sup>SUḪUR. MAŠ<sub>2</sub><sup>ku6</sup> "River Barge and Goat-Fish" (I ii 34) [MA<ref name=":1">Hunger, H. and Steele, J. M. (2019). The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN, Routledge, NY</ref>, 39].		* <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> ''u'' <sup>mul</sup>SUḪUR. MAŠ<sub>2</sub><sup>ku6</sup>
			* "River Barge and Goat-Fish" (I ii 34) [MA<ref name=":1">Hunger, H. and Steele, J. M. (2019). The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN, Routledge, NY</ref>, 39].
	\|[[File:Bab RiverBarge+GoatFish.png\|thumb\|Babylonian constellations River Barge and Goat-Fish interpreted by Jessica Gullberg for Stellarium (CC BY). ]]		\|[[File:Bab RiverBarge+GoatFish.png\|thumb\|Babylonian constellations River Barge and Goat-Fish interpreted by Jessica Gullberg for Stellarium (CC BY). ]]
	\|-		\|-
	\|'''List of stars V R, 46, 1:38.'''		\|'''List of stars V R, 46, 1:38.'''
	* <sup>mul</sup>ma<sub>2</sub>.gur<sub>8</sub> <sup>mul</sup>suḫur.maš<sub>2</sub> = <sup>d</sup>''Nabû''(pa) ''u'' <sup>d</sup>''Taš-me-tu''<sub>4</sub> "Ship (and) Goat-Fish = Nabû and Tashmetu" [HBA<ref>''Weidner E.'' Handbuch der babylonischen Astronomie. Bd. I. Leipzig, 1915.</ref>, 52:38; Wee 2016<ref>Wee, J. (2016). Virtual Moons over Babylonia: The Calendar Text System, Its Micro-Zodiac of 13, and the Making of Medical Zodiology. The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World, Ed. J. M. Steele, 139–229.</ref>, 162-3].		* <sup>mul</sup>ma<sub>2</sub>.gur<sub>8</sub> <sup>mul</sup>suḫur.maš<sub>2</sub> = <sup>d</sup>''Nabû''(pa) ''u'' <sup>d</sup>''Taš-me-tu''<sub>4</sub>
			* "Ship (and) Goat-Fish = Nabû and Tashmetu" [HBA<ref>''Weidner E.'' Handbuch der babylonischen Astronomie. Bd. I. Leipzig, 1915.</ref>, 52:38; Wee 2016<ref>Wee, J. (2016). Virtual Moons over Babylonia: The Calendar Text System, Its Micro-Zodiac of 13, and the Making of Medical Zodiology. The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World, Ed. J. M. Steele, 139–229.</ref>, 162-3].
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-

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	====Symbol.====		====Symbol.====
	The River Barge. Numerous depictions of this type of vessel are present on seals, reliefs, and in pottery from the second half of the 3rd millennium BCE and later [Salonen-Opificius 1969<ref>''Salonen A'', ''Opificius R.'' Götterboot // RlA. 1969. Bd. 3, Lief. 6. S. 463-466.</ref>; Kurtik 1998, 34-37; Kurtik 2023]. ~~''<u>'''The outlines and the figure of the Ship constellation is not known.'''</u>''~~		The River Barge. Numerous depictions of this type of vessel are present on seals, reliefs, and in pottery from the second half of the 3rd millennium BCE and later [Salonen-Opificius 1969<ref>''Salonen A'', ''Opificius R.'' Götterboot // RlA. 1969. Bd. 3, Lief. 6. S. 463-466.</ref>; Kurtik 1998, 34-37; Kurtik 2023].

	==== Previous Identifications.====		==== Previous Identifications.====

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2026-07-11T19:16:11Z

Original Images of Boats/ Ships

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	=== Transformation ===		=== Transformation ===
	[[File:AncientEridu ArtistImpression.jpg\|thumb\|ancient Eridu, artist impression (CC0, Original image by Таис Гило, public domain).]]		[[File:AncientEridu ArtistImpression.jpg\|thumb\|ancient Eridu, artist impression (CC0, Original image by Таис Гило, public domain).]]
	[[File:Kuphar Quffa Baghdad 1914.jpg\|thumb\|Kuphar/Quffa Baghdad 1914 (CC0). This is how a river boat/ the Ark is described ([[wikipedia:Finkel's_replica_of_Babylonian_ark\|Finkel's reconstruction]]). ]]
	Based on very early sources that pre-date MUL.APIN, Crossen (2015) argues that <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> originally, around 2000 BCE, was a huge constellation. According to him, it was a huge river boat in which the god Pabilsang (and perhaps some priests) sailed the Euphrates for ritual processions. At that time, the stars that are seen as the goat-head of Capricornus would have been the figurehead at the prow of this ship.		Based on very early sources that pre-date MUL.APIN, Crossen (2015) argues that <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> originally, around 2000 BCE, was a huge constellation. According to him, it was a huge river boat in which the god Pabilsang (and perhaps some priests) sailed the Euphrates for ritual processions. At that time, the stars that are seen as the goat-head of Capricornus would have been the figurehead at the prow of this ship.

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	cf. Laursen 2021 for sea-faring ships suggestive of the shape of the waxing Moon.		cf. Laursen 2021 for sea-faring ships suggestive of the shape of the waxing Moon.

	Dilmun Boat shaped votive bowls for the Moon-god Nanna?		Dilmun Boat shaped votive bowls for the Moon-god Nanna?<gallery>
			File:Gypsum Relief of Gardens of Nineveh, North Palace, Nineveh, Iraq, 645-635 BC.jpg\|'''Gypsum Relief of Gardens of Nineveh, North Palace, Nineveh, Iraq'''
			File:Rieten boot relief nineveh palace.jpg\|'''Rieten boot relief nineveh palace'''
			File:Quffah ancMesopot.jpg\|ancient versus modern Quffah (CC BY Ensar Adıgüzel: both images CC0)
			File:Kuphar Quffa Baghdad 1914.jpg\|'''Quffa Baghdad 1914 (CC0)'''
			File:Guffa on the Tigris, Baghdad, 1932.jpg\|'''Guffa on the Tigris, Baghdad, 1932'''
			</gallery>

	===Additional===		===Additional===

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	==== Original Images of Boats/ Ships ====		==== Original Images of Boats/ Ships ====

			<div style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;">
			<youtube align=right>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqBQKHl5PeA‎</youtube>
			</div>
	cf. Laursen 2021 for sea-faring ships suggestive of the shape of the waxing Moon.		cf. Laursen 2021 for sea-faring ships suggestive of the shape of the waxing Moon.

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	Based on very early sources that pre-date MUL.APIN, Crossen (2015) argues that <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> originally, around 2000 BCE, was a huge constellation. According to him, it was a huge river boat in which the god Pabilsang (and perhaps some priests) sailed the Euphrates for ritual processions. At that time, the stars that are seen as the goat-head of Capricornus would have been the figurehead at the prow of this ship.		Based on very early sources that pre-date MUL.APIN, Crossen (2015) argues that <sup>mul</sup>MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> originally, around 2000 BCE, was a huge constellation. According to him, it was a huge river boat in which the god Pabilsang (and perhaps some priests) sailed the Euphrates for ritual processions. At that time, the stars that are seen as the goat-head of Capricornus would have been the figurehead at the prow of this ship.

	In contrast, the circular zodiac in Dendera from Ptolemaic Era (1st century BCE) that displays the Babylonian zodiac constellations (while the rest of the uranography is mixed with Egyptian and Greek figures): there, the Boat is only a small barge beneath the front legs of Sagittarius, not even extending to his rear legs.		In contrast, the circular zodiac in Dendera from Ptolemaic Era (1st century BCE) that displays the Babylonian zodiac constellations (while the rest of the uranography is mixed with Egyptian and Greek figures): there, the Boat is only a small barge beneath the front legs of Sagittarius, not even extending to his rear legs. (cf. Egyptian constellation [[Wia]], The Boat)

	For MUL.APIN, which dates around or short before 1000 BCE, we painted the god Pabilsang (Sagittarius) standing in the boat, which is meant as a compromise between these two extremes (much bigger around 2000 BCE, much smaller around 50 BCE). <gallery>		For MUL.APIN, which dates around or short before 1000 BCE, we painted the god Pabilsang (Sagittarius) standing in the boat, which is meant as a compromise between these two extremes (much bigger around 2000 BCE, much smaller around 50 BCE). <gallery>

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	For MUL.APIN, which dates around or short before 1000 BCE, we painted the god Pabilsang (Sagittarius) standing in the boat, which is meant as a compromise between these two extremes (much bigger around 2000 BCE, much smaller around 50 BCE). <gallery>		For MUL.APIN, which dates around or short before 1000 BCE, we painted the god Pabilsang (Sagittarius) standing in the boat, which is meant as a compromise between these two extremes (much bigger around 2000 BCE, much smaller around 50 BCE). <gallery>
	File:MAGUR8 Stellarium sumer.jpg\|~~MA2~~.~~GUR8~~ as huge, long river boat with figurehead in Sumer ~2300 BCE (Crossen 2015): CC BY SMH.		File:MAGUR8 Stellarium sumer.jpg\|MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> as huge, long river boat with figurehead in Sumer ~2300 BCE (Crossen 2015): CC BY SMH.
	File:MAGUR8 Stellarium mulapin.jpg\|~~MA2~~.~~GUR8~~ as long river boat in MUL.APIN ~1100 BCE (Gullberg et al. 2022): CC BY SMH.		File:MAGUR8 Stellarium mulapin.jpg\|MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> as long river boat in MUL.APIN ~1100 BCE (Gullberg et al. 2022): CC BY SMH.
	File:MAGUR8 Stellarium dendera.jpg\|~~MA2~~.~~GUR8~~ as small river boat, quffah, in Dendera 50 BCE CC BY SMH.		File:MAGUR8 Stellarium dendera.jpg\|MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> as small river boat, quffah, in Dendera 50 BCE CC BY SMH.
	File:MAGUR8 Stellarium GIF.gif\|animater version of these three constellation versions (CC BY SMH)		File:MAGUR8 Stellarium GIF.gif\|MA<sub>2</sub>.GUR<sub>8</sub> - animater version of these three constellation versions (CC BY SMH)
	</gallery>		</gallery>