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Young World
Rewriting history
A series of surprising discoveries has been made at the foot of Egypt’s famous Temple of Amun at Karnak, archaeologists say. The new finds include ancient ceremonial baths, a pharaoh’s private entry ramp, and the remains of a massive wall built some 3,000 years ago to reinforce what was then the bank of the Nile River. A host of other artefacts, including hundreds of bronze coins, has also been found. Together the discoveries are causing experts to reconsider the history of the largest religious complex from ancient Egyptian times. Archaeologists are particularly intrigued by the discovery of the embankment wall, which they say is the first evidence that the Nile once ran alongside the temple. The elaborate shrine to the god Amun-Re covers about 200 acres (81 hectares) near the present-day city of Luxor and sits 650 feet (200 meters) from where the river runs today. Archaeologists discovered portions of the embankment accidentally while building a new plaza and performing routine maintenance near the temple’s facade. The other artefacts and features were unearthed in the process of excavating the wall.
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