An international team of archaeologists has determined when and how the famous Karnak Temple was built. An analysis of Nile River sediment helped establish that the oldest part of the complex dates back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt—approximately 2591–2152 BCE.
New research has ended years of debate over the age of the Karnak Temple. Archaeologists studied the sediment cores taken from the banks of the Nile around the complex to determine the timing of its construction.
According to Christian Strett from the University of Southampton, core analysis revealed that the temple’s most ancient section appeared during the Old Kingdom, roughly between 2591 and 2152 BCE. The researchers also found that the temple was built on high ground situated between ancient channels of the Nile.
The results showed that around 2520 BCE, construction at this site would have been extremely difficult due to the river’s rapid flow and frequent floods. It was only over time that the Nile’s course shifted, freeing up enough land for the creation of the temple complex.
The scientists note that Karnak’s architectural features are linked to the creation myth, where the creator god emerged from a “lake” in the form of a raised mound. The new data not only refines the chronology but also helps us better understand the cultural and religious context of ancient Egyptian construction. The results of the study were published in the journal Antiquity.
