Astragalus (Knucklebones) Astrology Texts 500-400 BCE

Milkvetch flowers range from milky white to purple. This is Alpine milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus) found throughout Eurasia in mountainous areas.

https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/632070

Astragalus, Locoweed, Milkvetch

(February 26, 2024) "Astrogalus" is a word used for both a medicinal/poisonous plant and for ancient knucklebones used as dice indicating some deep etymology.

"Astragalus" is from the Akkadian phrases AS.TR or "astra" meaning "celestial healing's.shaper" (heavenly body) and G.LŠ or "galus" meaning "energy.influences." So together they form the phrase "heavenly-body's energy influences". This was a word given to dice like knucklebones originally used for divination.

Astragalus the plant is a large genus of over 3,000 species belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. Astragalus is used in traditional Chinese medicine with extracts made from its roots.

About half of the Astragalus plant species contain notrotoxins (NPA, NPOH) which make them poisonous in large doses. Plants are poisonous from the time they emerge until they dry up in late summer or are killed by frost. Milkvetch poisoning may be mistaken for larkspur poisoning. Cattle readily eat milkvetch even when other plants are available.

When eaten in moderate doses, this poisoning in cattle results in crazy intoxicated behavior over several days or weeks due to spinal cord demyelination. Poisoned animals generally have respiratory problems and varying degrees of posterior paralysis. In large does the animals quickly die within 4-25 hours. One kg of green milkvetch may be a lethal dose for a 500-kg cow.

Animals that die quickly may not show clinical signs; but more often, animals die within 3 or 4 hours after eating the plant. These acutely poisoned animals generally show muscular weakness progressing to paralysis such that affected animals fall after the slightest excitement. The heart rate is often extremely high. There is no known treatment for milkvetch poisoning.

References

https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/logan-ut/poisonous-plant-research/docs/milkvetch-astragalus-spp/

Astragalus of Gela, Sicily 450 BCE. Letter style is Etruscan. Letter assignments by Olmsted. Photo from:
Dean, Charles (2021) Astragalus as a weight and monetary symbol. In , Play and Games in Classical Antiquity, p. 147-178. Online at: https://books.openedition.org/pulg/25588?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#tocfrom3n1
https://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Technology/en/Measurements.html

Astragalus Found In Gela, Sicily 450 BCE

(February 26, 2024, updated March 18, 2025) Gela was founded around 688 BCE by colonists from Rhodes and Crete, 45 years after the founding of Syracuse.

Translation of Line 1 in Akkadian (Med Text 58)

(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is Etruscan.

Ta'u Nu Bu E. Ga'u Ya'u. Nu EMu Ya (Med 58.1)

In English

The pasture (astrological night sky) is revealing the nourishment's ineffectiveness. Break-out Yahu (Y'). The revelations are not being supervised.

Astragalus found In Olympia, Greece 400 BCE. Letter style is the Eastern form of Persian empire Aramaic. Letter assignments by Olmsted. Photo from:
Dean, Charles (2021) Astragalus as a weight and monetary symbol. In , Play and Games in Classical Antiquity, p. 147-178. Online at: https://books.openedition.org/pulg/25588?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#tocfrom3n1

Astragalus Found In Olympia, Greece 400 BCE

(February 26, 2024, updated March 18, 2025)

Translation of Line 1 in Akkadian (Med Text 59)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is Etruscan.

Du ITu Ṣu (Med 59.1)

In English

The life-manifestation's omens have been activated.

Susa was the administrative capital of the Achaemenian king Darius I and his successors from 522 BCE until conquered by Alexander the Great in . It was located at the foot of the Zagros Mountains near the bank of the Karkheh Kūr (Choaspes) River in the Khuzistan region of Iran.

Astragalus of Didymus Found In Susa 499 BCE

(February 25, 2024, updated March 18, 2025) This object was likely looted from one of the Greek cities captured by Darius during the Greco-Persian Wars which started during the Mediterranean drought of 499 BCE and lasted until 449 BC. This text is blames the drought and resulting conflict on humans interacting with the astrological powers of the night sky.

At the time of this object's excavation, the archaeological site of Susa consists of four mounds. One held the citadel which was excavated by Jacques de Morgan between 1897 and 1908. His dig uncovered this weight which was shaped like a knucklebone. These bones were ancient dice used in divination and games of chance.

It says:

Controllers (eagle-vultures) can make a boundary for the veil. That can energize the fertility-fluids. Fate-curses makes-ineffective YaHu (Y'). The Instigator (Su) energizes activity. Pasture astrology-magic's threading.
This threading will manifest the expulsions (from the high powers). Storm-powers will result in the fertility-fluids. The darkness will shed those fertility-fluids. ....
(Reversed Direction) Alu is lacking openings. Reveal the life-channels. Make ineffective the involvement of the monitor (Su). Intimidate confusion.
Life-manifestations are lacking the Weaver (Ayu). The veil is not activating involvement. Energize Hu. Activate the life-threads. Involve Alu's emotions.

Reference

Dean, Charles (2021) Astragalus as a weight and monetary symbol. In , Play and Games in Classical Antiquity, p. 147-178. Online at: https://books.openedition.org/pulg/25588?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#tocfrom3n1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susa

Astragalus of Didymus - Top Angled View

This is now at the Louvre, Inventory number AS 6020. It is 24.5 by 27.5 cm and weights 93.7 kg.

Reference

Dean, Charles (2021) Astragalus as a weight and monetary symbol. In , Play and Games in Classical Antiquity, p. 147-178. Online at: https://books.openedition.org/pulg/25588?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#tocfrom3n1

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010176755

Astragalus of Didymus - Top

This was excavated in 1901 during the excavations of Susa, Persia conducted by Jacques de Morgan. It is made of Bronze (according to the Louvre) and dated to the reign of Achaemenid King Darius 550 – 486 BCE.

Astragalus of Didymus - Front

Astragalus of Didymus - Back

(February 25, 2024, updated March 18, 2025) This text style is mostly Etruscan

Translation of Line 1 in Akkadian (Med Text 60.1)

(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is a mix of Etruscan and Aegean.

ARu ETu APu. A Gu Mu. UYa E Ya'u. ADu Gu Ṣu. Ta'u Tu Qu (Med 60.1)

In English

Controllers (eagle-vultures) can make a boundary for the veil. That can energize the fertility-fluids. Fate-curses makes-ineffective YaHu (Y'). The Instigator (Su) energizes activity. Pasture astrology-magic's threading.

(February 25, 2024, updated March 18, 2025) This text style is mostly Etruscan.

Translation of Line 2 in Akkadian (Med Text 60.2)

(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is a mix of Etruscan and Aegean.

A Qu Du AṢu. UMu A Mu. EṬu EṢu A Mu [5 letters] Š (Med 60.2)

In English

This threading will manifest the expulsions (from the high powers). Storm-powers will result in the fertility-fluids. The darkness will shed those fertility-fluids. ....

(February 25, 2024, updated March 18, 2025) The text style of line 3 going left to right is Aegean Island while line 4 is mostly Etruscan.

Translation of Lines 3 and 4 in Akkadian (Med Text 60)

(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is a mix of Etruscan and Aegean.

(Reversed Direction) ALu Lu Pu. Nu IDu. E Ku ATu. ḪaNu EŠu (Med 60.3)
Du Lu UTu. APu Ṣu Ya Ku. Gu Ḫu. Ṣu Qu. Ku ULu IMu (Med 60.4)

In English

(Reversed Direction) Alu is lacking openings. Reveal the life-channels. Make ineffective the involvement of the monitor (Su). Intimidate confusion.
Life-manifestations are lacking the Weaver (Ayu). The veil is not activating involvement. Energize Hu. Activate the life-threads. Involve Alu's emotions.