[MRM]

Orion was high in the sky when I got home last night and I stopped to admire it and thought that it is probably my favorite constellation and one of the few I can regularly identify.

It's not surprising so many ancient civilizations mimicked it. It's one of the most recognizable constellations and so easy to see that even a spatially challenged dufus like me can make it out. The stars are unusually bright and look like they were put together. Anyone who paid attention to the sky would naturally focus on Orion.

The ancient Egyptians probably used a highly refined oil that didn't leave much reside and used as little of it as possible. They didn't know about oxygen, but they understood they were working in enclosed spaces and needed to preserve their air.