The temple of Athribis in the 9th Upper Egyptian nome: Philology and archaeology
Final Report Abstract
Athribis is located about 7 km southwest of Sohag (approx. 200 km north of Luxor) in an area that was once part of the 9th Upper Egyptian nome of Ancient Egypt. The archaeological site extends over 30 hectares, most of which has not yet been excavated. It consists of the temple complex, settlement, necropolis, and quarries. The long-term project started in 2005 with the aim of excavating the buried rooms and recording and evaluating their iconographic representations and texts. The temple was constructed and decorated over a period of more than 200 years. Ptolemy XII, who ruled 81-58 and 55-51 BC, built the 75m x 45m temple and decorated the interior rooms, while the outer walls and columns date to the reigns of Tiberius (14-37 AD), Caligula (37-41 AD), and Claudius (41-54 AD). To excavate the buried rooms, about 400 fallen blocks each weighing up to 34 tonnes, had to be recovered. These were then examined in seven dedicated repositories. Large-scale excavations in the temple thus were possible since 2012 and were completed in 2019. With the completion of the excavations a tour path and information panels for visitors were installed. In early 2021 the temple was opened for the public by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Almost all of about 1300 inscriptions and reliefs are published in five monographs in eleven volumes, another monograph with the decorated blocks was transmitted to the French institute in Cairo for publication. The same holds true for a complete translation of the texts and a glossary. On the archaeological side two monographs in four volumes are published so far. In addition, some articles have to be mentioned. After the Arabian conquest of Egypt in AD 642 the monastery reduced its activity bit by bit, and the temple building was used temporarily as an animal barn but also as waste disposal, for example for old pottery sherds, tools, glass, jewellery (mainly beads), ostraca and tiny papyrus fragments. This rubbish, deriving from the monastery (active until the 9th century) and the surrounding settlement allows insights in the daily life of the populace. Columns and the ceiling of the pronaos (room A) were torn down already in the 8th century. Mainly the two large rooms (A and B) behind the temple’s entrance were the location of subsequent brick-made chambers and installations that were used as working places, for instance for preparing food but also for storage of nourishments. Large-scale destruction of the temple starts in the middle of the 10th century and lasts for about one century. This becomes manifest, first in big blocks that came crashing down from walls and ceilings, and second in 1 m thick layers of thousands upon thousands of limestone flakes as well as fragments with reliefs from walls and ceilings.
Publications
- Athribis II, Der Tempel Ptolemaios XII., Die Inschriften und Reliefs der Opfersäle, des Umgangs und der Sanktuarräume. 3 Bde, IIL + 690 Seiten Text, 150 Seiten Tafeln + 1 DVD
Chr. Leitz, D.Mendel und Y. El-Masry
- Athribis I, General Site Survey 2003 – 2007. Archaeological & Conservation Studies. The Gate of Ptolemy IX. Architecture and Inscriptions. 2 Bde, 290 Seiten und 19 Tafeln
R. El-Sayed und Y. El-Masry
- Geographisch-osirianische Prozessionen aus Philae, Dendara und Athribis. 526 Seiten
Chr. Leitz
- Die Außenwände und westlichen Seitenkapellen des Tempels von Athribis. 2 Bde, XXXIII + 285 Seiten Text, 263 Seiten Tafeln
Chr. Leitz, D.Mendel und M. El-Bialy
- Athribis III, Die östlichen Zugangsräume und Seitenkapellen sowie die Treppe zum Dach und die rückwärtigen Räume des Tempels Ptolemaios XII. 2 Bde, XL + 500 Seiten Text, 320 Seiten Tafeln
Chr. Leitz und D. Mendel
- Athribis IV, Der Umgang L 1 bis L 3. 2 Bde, XLIV + 327 Seiten Text und 246 Seiten Tafeln
Chr. Leitz und D. Mendel
- Athribis V, Archäologie im Repit-Tempel zu Athribis 2012-2016. 2 Bde, XIV + 436 Seiten Text und 293 Seiten Tafeln
M. Müller, M. El-Bialy und M. Boraik
- Athribis VI, Die westlichen Zugangsräume, die Säulen und die Architrave des Umgangs und der südliche Teil des Soubassements der westlichen Außenmauer des Tempels Ptolemaios XII. 2 Bde, XXII + 379 Seiten und 289 Seiten Tafeln
Chr. Leitz und D. Mendel
