New research has revealed the secrets behind the 4,000-year-old Karnak Temple near Luxor, one of the largest temple complexes in the ancient world. The UNESCO World Heritage site, visited by millions of tourists annually, was dedicated to the supreme god Amun-Ra and linked to Egypt's creation myth.
A study by the University of Southampton and Uppsala University analysed 61 sediment cores from the site, providing unprecedented detail on its age and origins. Published in the journal Antiquity, the findings show the earliest possible occupation date was between 2591 and 2152 BC, around 4,500 years ago. This supports theories of a later date, contradicting earlier claims of occupation as early as 3000 BC.
The research indicates that before about 2520 BC, the site was regularly flooded by fast-flowing Nile waters, making earlier occupation unviable. Dr Kristian Strutt, co-author, said the evidence places a temporal constraint on the temple's earliest construction, settling a hotly contested debate among archaeologists.
The study also reveals how ancient Egyptians shaped the river landscape, dumping sand into channels to expand the island and create new building land. This manipulation allowed the temple to develop as old river channels silted up, with new construction built on top.
Lead author Dr Ben Pennington noted that the temple's location on an island may have been chosen to mimic the cosmogonical scene of high ground emerging from water, as described in Egyptian mythology. The annual floods would have echoed this scene, with the mound appearing to rise from receding waters, reinforcing the site's sacred significance.
