Jan 30
Ancient Egyptian Helicopter
I wanted to delve into a small section of hieroglyphs that are trotted out every time the Ancient Alien or prior advanced civilisation theories are discussed. I am talking about the helicopter of Seti I.
Where is it?
The Temple of Seti I is located in the city of Abydos, in the southern part of Egypt. Abydos is situated about 160 miles (260 km) north of Luxor and about 45 miles (72 km) west of the Nile River. The temple is situated on the west bank of the Nile and is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt. It is dedicated to the god Osiris and his son Horus. The temple was built during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I in the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt, around 1294–1279 BCE.
Who was Seti I?
Seti I was a pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt, who reigned from 1290 to 1279 BC. He was the son of Ramses I and the father of Ramses II, who is also known as Ramses the Great. Seti I was a powerful and influential ruler who is credited with consolidating the power of the pharaohs and expanding the empire’s territory.
During his reign, Seti I embarked on a series of military campaigns to expand Egypt’s territory, which resulted in the conquest of many territories including Palestine, Syria, and Nubia. He also built many monumental structures and temples throughout Egypt, including the Temple of Amun at Karnack, the Temple of Seti I in Abydos and the Ramesseum in Thebes.
The Temple
The Temple of Seti I is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in Egypt and has yielded many important discoveries. Some of the most notable discoveries in the temple include:
The Osirion:
The Osirion is a subterranean structure that is located beneath the temple’s courtyard. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Seti I, and was dedicated to the god Osiris. The Osirion is known for its unique architecture and the presence of a large, stone sarcophagus.
The Abydos King List:
The Abydos King List is a collection of hieroglyphs that lists the names of all the pharaohs of ancient Egypt from the 1st dynasty to the 19th dynasty. The list is considered to be one of the most important primary sources for the study of ancient Egyptian history.
Decorations and inscriptions:
The temple is rich with well-preserved decorations and inscriptions that provide valuable information about the religious beliefs, rituals and daily life of ancient Egyptians.
The Temple’s layout:
The temple’s layout is considered to be one of the most impressive and well-preserved examples of ancient Egyptian temple architecture, with a long processional approach, a pylon, several courtyards and a number of chapels and halls.
What about the Helicopter?
For our purposes we are interested in the Hypostyle Hall:
The temple’s outer hypostyle hall is known for its impressive columns and the unique hieroglyphs that seem to depict a helicopter or a bird-like aircraft. There is also what looks like a tank and a possible other disc shaped flying craft.
We will focus on the helicopter.
The theories
The mainstream explanation is that the helicopter, and other images, are the result of re-use of the hieroglyphic section overtime. It is thought the initial carving read,
“He who repulses the nine [enemies of Egypt]”.
That this was plastered and repurposed for Ramesses II reading
“He who protects Egypt and overthrows the foreign countries”.
Centuries (millennia) later plaster has eroded and left almost perfect depictions of modern, out of place vehicles.
A less mainstream theory is that the hieroglyphs are an unusual (unique) depiction or representation of the god Horus. A similar theory holds that the hieroglyphs may be a representation of a bird, possibly a falcon, which is a symbol of the god Horus in ancient Egyptian religion. Neither is an unreasonable explanation for the appearance of the odd hieroglyphs. However, they loose some credence as they are not replicated in any other carvings related to or representing Horus or any other god across the Egyptian period.
Another theory, which I think could be a reasonable explanation is that the hieroglyphs may be depict a type of boat the Ancient Egyptians were known for their knowledge in building boats and ships. This boat could have had a bird-like prow or a bird-shaped stern. Advocates of this belief point to the fact that the hieroglyph appears in the context of a temple dedicated to the god Osiris, who was associated with the afterlife and the Nile River. Therefore, it is possible that the hieroglyphs are meant to depict a boat that would have been used to transport the deceased to the afterlife. While again the issue of repeatability is an issue it could be a vision of a specific artist or boat builder.
We then come to the Ancient Astronaut theory that suggests that the hieroglyphs may be a depiction of a flying machine invented by the ancient Egyptians, or a representation of a flying object that the ancient Egyptians witnessed, representing some sort of advanced technology or vehicles which were used by ancient visitors or extra-terrestrial visitors to Egypt.
I will not sit on the fence and advocate for a dual approach. I believe the hieroglyph depicts a boat, transport, of some degree and has suffered erosion and overuse since its original inception. While I am open and even hopeful, that advanced technology and aliens were abound 3200 years ago, I do not think this depicts the occurrence.
Keep on hunting.
