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Glazed faience wedjat-eye
In Egyptian mathematics, alternative signs for certain fractions were written with parts of the eye of the falcon-god Horus.
In their mythical fight, his evil uncle Seth gouged out and destroyed one of his eyes. The scattered parts were retrieved by Thoth, the god of wisdom. Thus restored, the eye of Horus became called the 'whole eye' (Egyptian wedjat), different fraction values being ascribed to each part. These however, only add up to 63/64; the extra 1/64 needed to make the eye whole was magically provided by Thoth.
Found at Matmar in 1931. Dates from the Third Intermediate Period about 1070 - 715 BC.
Glazed faience wedjat-eye
In Egyptian mathematics, alternative signs for certain fractions were written with parts of the eye of the falcon-god Horus.
In their mythical fight, his evil uncle Seth gouged out and destroyed one of his eyes. The scattered parts were retrieved by Thoth, the god of wisdom. Thus restored, the eye of Horus became called the 'whole eye' (Egyptian wedjat), different fraction values being ascribed to each part. These however, only add up to 63/64; the extra 1/64 needed to make the eye whole was magically provided by Thoth.
Found at Matmar in 1931. Dates from the Third Intermediate Period about 1070 - 715 BC.