The ZODIAC Glossary

Welcome to the Zodiac Glossary, part of the ERC-funded project ZODIAC – Ancient Astral Science in Transformation, based at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Our Mission

The Zodiac Glossary is dedicated to exploring the rich and intricate world of ancient astral science. We carefully curate and cross-reference astral terms from a variety of ancient languages—including Akkadian, Aramaic, Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Sanskrit. Our goal is to illuminate how zodiacal and other astral concepts moved across cultures and time, helping scholars trace the transmission of celestial knowledge.

About the ZODIAC Project

This glossary is part of the larger ZODIAC project, an ERC grant initiative at Freie Universität Berlin. The project investigates hidden connections and developmental paths in ancient astral science. By collaborating with experts in linguistics, history, and related fields, we aim to deepen our understanding of how humanity’s fascination with the cosmos has shaped cultures throughout history.

How We Work

We compile an extensive, interlinked repository of astral terms across multiple ancient languages. This meticulous documentation allows scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts to uncover subtle patterns, trace the flow of ideas, and gain insight into the intercultural dynamics that shaped celestial knowledge. The glossary is designed as a tool for nuanced exploration, highlighting the complex intersections of language, culture, and astronomy.

Get Involved

We invite you to explore the Zodiac Glossary and join us in this scholarly inquiry. Trace the linguistic pathways that connect ancient civilizations, investigate the development of astral concepts, and contribute to our collective understanding of humanity’s cosmic heritage.

Contact

For questions, collaboration opportunities, or to contribute, reach out to Mathieu Ossendrijver. New contributor accounts require manual approval before editing privileges are granted.

Notes

• Ancient constellations may not correspond to modern ones. Names in the glossary are included primarily to aid discovery.
• Loan words may reflect occasional code-switching. We do not explicitly mark such cases due to the fragmentary nature of historical evidence.
• Sumerian loans into Akkadian are not separately marked; Akkadian entries include Sumerian lexemes when relevant.

Open Data

The raw data and code used for this website are available on Github and archived on Zenodo. This site provides JSON-LD metadata.