Implications of geoarchaeological investigations for the contextualization of sacred landscapes in the Nile Delta

Eva Lange-Athinodorou

doi:10.5194/egqsj-70-73-2021

Abstract

Abstract. Key elements of sacred landscapes of the Nile Delta were lakes, canals and artificial basins connected to temples, which were built on elevated terrain. In the case of temples of goddesses of an ambivalent, even dangerous, nature, i.e. lioness goddesses and all female deities who could appear as such, the purpose of sacred lakes and canals exceeded their function as a water resource for basic practical and religious needs. Their pleasing coolness was believed to calm the goddess' fiery nature, and during important religious festivals, the barques of the goddesses were rowed on those waters. As archaeological evidence was very rare in the past, the study of those sacred waters was mainly confined to textual sources. Recently applied geoarchaeological methods, however, have changed this situation dramatically: they allow in-depth investigations and reconstructions of these deltaic sacred landscapes. Exploring these newly available data, the paper presented here focuses on the sites of Buto, Sais and Bubastis, by investigating the characteristics of their sacred lakes, canals and marshes with respect to their hydrogeographical and geomorphological context and to their role in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology as well.

Highlights

Investigations of sacred landscapes occur at the very intersection of geomorphology and archaeology, where the methods and aims of both disciplines truly come together
Elemental components of sacred landscapes at Buto, Sais and Bubastis were the canals and lakes in close proximity to the temples of the goddesses who were venerated in those cities
The analysis of the data gained by geoarchaeological methods leads to interesting results on the specifics of the lakes and canals at the three sites used as case studies: a sacred canal of the Isheru type and a sacred lake within the temple enclosure most probably defined the sacred landscape of Buto

Summary

Introduction

Investigations of sacred landscapes occur at the very intersection of geomorphology and archaeology, where the methods and aims of both disciplines truly come together. For important Egyptian religious celebrations such as the so-called Opet festival as a well-known example, it was essential that the cult image of the god Amun travelled on his sacred barque from his main temple at Karnak to Luxor around 3 km to the south (Darnell, 2010) These travels took place on natural as well as on artificial waterways and land routes. In addition to textual and archaeological records, we have access to results of sedimentological analysis from core drillings, as well as from geoelectric and geomagnetic investigations These allow the investigation of the location, shape or course of sacred waters at temple sites. Buto, Sais and Bubastis are the main sites that provide us with sufficient textual, archaeological and geoarchaeological material for a comparative analysis They represent the topics of the following case study, which will focus on the landscape surrounding the large temples of these cities.

Textual sources

Geoarchaeology

Bubastis

Discussion

Summary and conclusions