The ancient city of Athribis near Sohag

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Leitz
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 467053756

Large parts of the pylon towers and the temple gate have already been excavated in the first three excavation campaigns. At 52 metres (100 cubits) wide, the pylon is almost as large as that of the Luxor Temple. New cartouches attest to Ptolemy VIII as the builder, reliefs of Min and Repit point to the cult recipients, as well as very rare depictions of two decan stars and a previously unknown bull god. The uncovering of further reliefs and texts on the pylon gate is on the agenda. There is growing evidence of a rock-cut sanctuary on the rock façade. We would therefore like to remove the large, disturbed masses of rubble behind the pylon in order to find the inner temple rooms and the outer temple wall as well as to uncover the western pylon wall. The still partially buried entrance area of the temple is also to be excavated in order to fully record the temple gate. Directly to the north of the temple we found many mud-brick storehouses, some with vaulted ceilings, which follow the terraced slope of the land to the east. These are adjoined by multi-storey residential buildings (priests' houses?). Further administrative and farm buildings already appear in wall crowns and are to be further excavated and analysed in the following campaigns. An entire neighbourhood of mud-brick houses with at least two storeys will then become visible. Feeding and tethering stalls as well as a stable provide evidence of the secular use of the temple in late Roman times. The uncovering of the layers behind the pylon’s northern tower that were not disturbed by Sebachin will provide further insights, as it will allow the history of the temple to be reconstructed according to its primary use. Significant features from this period were found in the settlement: highly preserved walls, some with coloured plaster. In the coming years, further buildings are to be excavated at various points in the settlement, hopefully including structures on higher hills as originally planned, in order to supplement the stratigraphy in the settlement with buildings from the Ptolemaic and medieval periods. Results on the architecture and possibly the functions can be expected quickly, as many wall crowns are already visible on the surface. The findings in the west wing of the monastery, where the nuns' dormitories may have been located, date from late antiquity. Work has begun on the southernmost room, with more to follow in each campaign. High walls promise important findings to clarify the building structures and functions of the rooms in the west wing. This means that the majority of the planned objectives have been achieved so far. The pylon temple has already been cleared of rubble so that its outlines are becoming clear. The surrounding areas are gradually being filled with buildings, enabling a better understanding of the temple, its surrounding secular buildings and its integration into the urban complex, visualised by a permanently updated general plan.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants