Field Diary 2020.6 / Abydos Archaeology
View of the early Egyptian road to the afterlife from inside a newly discovered rock-cut chamber high above the sacred wadi of Abydos, June 6, 2020, photo by Wendy Doyon.
We are thrilled—as in walking on the moon doing a happy dance EXCITED—to report on new work undertaken by the Ministry of Antiquities-Baliana Inspectorate’s New Survey Project on a previously unknown and mysterious archaeological site hidden high in the desert cliffs of the sacred wadi (canyon) of Abydos, the road to the afterlife in early Egyptian cosmology. The discovery, just announced by the Ministry of Antiquities (see post below), likely dates to the Ptolemaic period and raises many new questions about what was happening in this—until now—largely unexplored part of ancient Abydos.
The team’s preliminary investigation of a series of openings all at the same level high in the cliff-side of the sacred wadi revealed them to be the entrances to rectangular chambers cut into the bedrock. Adjacent chambers sometimes were connected by small doorways, creating groupings of two, three, and in one case, five rooms. They are largely undecorated, with the exception of rock-cut features like low benches and shallow wall niches, and most had small hand or rope holds cut at the entrance. A few graffiti and the associated ceramics provide some clues as to the date and original purpose of the complex, but the picture is still far from clear. What is certain, however, is the absence of any evidence to suggest that the chambers were tombs.
(Above and below) Exploring the complex of cave-like chambers inside the mouth of the sacred wadi at Abydos, June 6-18, 2020, photos by Ayman Damarany.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the discovery is the regular association between the cliff chambers and natural water tunnels and major cracks in the bedrock. Some of the chambers follow and integrate water tunnels, which then open into the chamber from the rear wall from much deeper in the bedrock. The chambers are arranged in the cliff face well above, but overlooking, deep vertical shafts that also follow and enlarge existing natural water tunnels. The association between the chambers, the shafts, and these natural geological features may give particular significance to their presence inside this wadi—uniquely sacred among the desert canyons that skirt the western edge of Abydos. What could this mysterious complex, located on Egypt's most ancient route to the Netherworld, be? Time (and a lot more climbing!) will tell, as it always does.
Congratulations to all involved in this exciting discovery! Mr. Mohammed ’Abd al-Badea, Ashraf Okasha, Mohammed Naguib, Ayman Damarany, Hazem Salah, Mohammed Abu el-Yazid, Ahmed ’Abd al-Kader, Amr Zakaria, as well as Emad Hamdi, Singab ’Abd al-Rahman, and Ahmed Ragab.