The cult of Osiris at Abydos: An archaeological investigation of the development of an ancient Egyptian sacred center during the Eighteenth Dynasty

Abstract

The area adjacent to the Osiris temple precinct in North Abydos comprised a focal point for ritual activity associated with the cult of Osiris at both the royal and non-royal level during the Eighteenth Dynasty (ca 1552–1305 B.C.). Textual evidence attests to the utilization of the area, designated herein as the Cultic Zone, for the construction of private monuments that provided a means for symbolic participation in the cult cycle during the preceding period. Although the Egyptian state continued to invest in the local cult institutions, the subsequent development of the adjacent area remained poorly understood. A new program of archaeological investigation of the site was undertaken in 1996 and 1997 in order to study the development of the Cultic Zone site. The methodology employed an intensive topographical and archaeological survey, followed by selective excavation. The discovery of a previously unknown cult structure of Thutmose III (ca 1490–1436 B.C.) at the site provides the earliest evidence for royal construction at the site. Intact archaeological deposits and texts associated with this structure attest to its utilization over a span of 1400 years. The structure's architectural form parallels other known Egyptian temples; however, the orientation of the sanctuaries is unusual, and reflects its specific function in the context of the ritual landscape of North Abydos. The analysis of the associated ceramic remains supports a model of periodic depositional processes which may have included a private component in addition to the expected state-mandated activity. Archaeological examination also revealed the existence of private monuments at the site during the New Kingdom, pointing to continuity of practice related to the Osiris cult cycle. Within this context, the royal structure was arguably part of a building program designed to regulate the utilization of space at the site. The attribution of another structure adjacent to the temple precinct to Thutmose III supports this interpretation. The articulation of the spatial relationships which existed between these individual elements of the built environment of North Abydos allows for an understanding of the ritual program of the site as a whole during the Eighteenth Dynasty.