Seasons

[Ungod]

I started reading the 'dawn of astronomy' again, but this time mixing chapters.

Spoiler

There's something very interesting about the fact that 'we owe' so much to the Egyptians, from math to religion to agriculture to astronomy (where 'we' is probably 'humanity' and 'owe' refers to the foolish idea of 'progress'). They're probably the first to measure time by the Sun, instead of the Moon, the first ones to distribute plots of lands equally using more-or-less complicated math, the first ones to create a strong priestly cast (differing from the shamanic traditions) - or the first that we know of in detail.

But I digress - here's what caught my eye: the Egyptians had a 365 days year, they had 12 months, they had the zodiac, they had 12 hrs, but they had...3 seasons. Sowing season, harvesting season and inundation season. It was all about the Nile - IT created this peculiarity. For the Egyptians, the rising of the Nile, which coincided with the summer solstice, was the New Year's day - they had to prepare for plowing and sowing henceforth.

For us, New Year's when the long winter nights finally give in. I've heard of (obviously) 4 seasons and 2 seasons, but not of 3. Does anyone know of other strange numbers of seasons? Now or then?

[MaGoHi]

I dont think its strange at all considering their geological location to have only 3 seasons, Achet (time of flood), Peret (time of sowing) and Schemu (draught), it makes sense considering that the nile was the one thing that kept them alive.

i think if you compare it with our understanding of seasons they could do with only two summer and winter since the difference in the average temperature is like 15°C, also they probably knew of the flood and drought before they invented the calender to predict it, so that could be the reason for that

[Azull]

In New England there are 5 season. The normal 4 and mud season. Between winter and spring. :)

[Ivorak]

Pffft! 3, or 4, or even 5 seasons isn't nearly enough.

You'd probably find ancient Japan's system of 72 microseasons interesting. You can search elsewhere for specific names.

I think farmer's almanacs are really cool too, even if they don't explicitly name the subdivision of seasons.