ISOTOPIC DATA: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SOURCE(S) OF OSIREION GROUNDWATER, ABYDOS, EGYPT

Abstract

Among the many wars which depicted and documented at the ancient Egyptian history, little of themThe Osireion, formerly concealed within a West Bank Nile terrace, is thought to have been animportant building to the Ancient Egyptians. Its huge building blocks define a rectangular centralstone island surrounded by a water-filled channel nearly 13m below the surrounding land surface.The channel was cleared of debris to 4.3m in 1925, but not to its original depth. Westerman (2008)successfully probed to 10.4m using a metal rod. Seismic data suggest its walls may extend 15mbelow the water table. Westerman listed six questions that elude archeologists and Egyptologists.Why, when and how was the Osireion built? Is in the interior of the island hollow? Why was it built inwater? What is the source of the water? Eleven water samples were collected including the Nile,Osireion, two nearby idle dewatering wells, an active eastern French drain and six active watersupply wells. a18O and aD were measured by EAEA and PO4, Cl, Na+K and TDS by SohagUniversity. Factors such as evaporation, mixing, relative humidity, surface elevation and rechargeclimate can influence isotopic contents. The Nile sample appears most affected by evaporation,consistent with Lake Nasser’s great size and arid climate. Water samples fall below the GMWL andpaleowater line in a region expected of modern precipitation in arid, low latitude climates. Sinaigroundwater by contrast are isotopically lighter, suggestive of recharge at higher elevation duringcooler climates. a18O, aD, PO4, Cl, Na+K and TDS concentrations suggest Osireion waters are noteasily explained by simple evaporation of any supposed end member. a18O and aD concentrationsare strikingly different from two nearby down groundwater gradient, dewatering wells most likely froma mixed source not typical of the ten other samples. Upfllowing from a semi-confined artesianaquifer, possibly also diffuse regional leakage through the Esna Shale are suggested.