Inside Karnak's New Kingdom structures lies a granite core built around even older structures, with massive blocks typical of Old Kingdom architecture. One granite building shows evidence of multiple rebuildings over centuries. Research from the University of Southampton has provided unprecedented detail on the temple's evolution.
Granite core predates New Kingdom construction
EgyptSurvey
Key facts
- Karnak has a granite core built around older structures
- The granite blocks are typical of Old Kingdom architecture
- There is a granite building within the temple complex with massive block sizes
- The granite temple shows evidence of having been rebuilt several times
- The granite core contains a box/offering table with a cracked lid
- Quartzite was also used in these ancient granite structures
Site mentioned
Sources
Vast ancient Egyptian temple dated to Old Kingdom | Popular Sciencepopsci.com
The expansive ruins of Karnak Temple provide an unprecedented window into ancient Egypt. After decades of archaeological excavation work, ...
History of the Karnak Temple complex - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The history of the Karnak Temple complex is largely the history of Thebes. The city does not appear to have been of any significance before the Eleventh ...
Who Built the Temple of Karnak? Learn About the Buildersrespectegypttours.com
Constructing the Karnak Temple is a saga that took over 2,000 years. Construction began during the Middle Kingdom (around 2000 BCE) under Senusret I. Major ...
Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak - Smarthistorysmarthistory.org
The massive temple complex of Karnak was the principal religious center of the god Amun-Re in Thebes during the New Kingdom (which lasted from 1550 until 1070 ...
Karnak Temple: The Secrets of an Ancient Egyptian Sanctuaryhistoryhit.com
The ancient Egyptian temple complex of Ipet-Sut – Karnak – is home to splendid architecture that stretches back millennia, from the early 2nd millennium BC to ...
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