from our EgyptCorrespondent

thought that it may have been brought out of the temple and left there, but for what purpose no one knows (see photo. above, with Moamen Saad Mohamed, and on the right, Moamen with some inscribed blocks still partly buried). Roman irrigation systems have been discovered and cleaned behind the avenue of sphinxes. Work continues in an area which now appears to be a Roman Bath. A sixteen-seated bathhouse on a mosaic floor has been completely uncovered and cleaned (see photo. below). The seats are set around a central podium, and in Roman times the baths may have been covered by a dome. A similar bath house has been found in Abussia Magna near Alexandria. There are also similar baths in the Faiyum.

A large pot of Roman coins with about fifty pieces inside was found in this area. These have been sent away for cleaning and analysis. The photo. (bottom left) was taken at the time of the discovery. Another find (see photo. below) was a damaged statue, a torso, probably of a king, wearing the usual kilt. Salah, Mohamed and Rees Mohamed, three archaeologists who have worked continuously on this area, expect to make more discoveries. Mansour and Ibrahim are very pleased with excavations at Karnak and say within the few months the roads around the temple and open plaza will be complete to give a panoramic view from the Nile to the temple pylons. Photos: courtesy of Mansour Boriak.

ANCIENTEGYPTDecember 2007/January 2008

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