Precise astronomical referents of the Egyptian terms msḳt and msḳt sḥdw

Determine the precise astronomical referents of the ancient Egyptian terms msḳt and msḳt sḥdw as used in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, establishing whether they denote the Milky Way, the ecliptic, a near-horizon celestial region, or another specific sky feature, and delineate their spatial extent and relation to the horizons.

Background

The paper reviews competing interpretations of the terms msḳt and msḳt sḥdw. Sethe and Faulkner associated msḳt sḥdw with the Milky Way (e.g., "Street of Stars"), while Conman and Krauss argued these terms refer to the ecliptic. Davis proposed a different term (Mr-nḫꜢ) as the Milky Way’s name, but that too has been translated in multiple ways and linked to the ecliptic by Krauss.

Von Lieven synthesized prior work and suggested msḳt is linked to an eastern transit region near the horizon and to the Duat’s gates, but emphasized uncertainty in its vertical extent. The author concludes that despite extensive analysis, the exact referents of msḳt and msḳt sḥdw remain unresolved.