Editing Abydos, Egypt (section)

== Main sites ==
[[File:Egypt and the Sûdân; handbook for travellers (1914) (14597319359).jpg|thumb|350px|Plan of Abydos]]

=== Seti I Temple ===
{{Main|Temple of Seti I (Abydos)}}
The temple of [[Seti I]] was built on entirely new ground half a mile to the south of the long series of temples just described. This surviving building is best known as the Great Temple of Abydos, being nearly complete and an impressive sight.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}} A principal purpose of the temple was to serve as a memorial to king Seti I, as well as to show reverence for the early pharaohs, which is incorporated within as part of the "Rite of the Ancestors".

The long list of the pharaohs of the principal dynasties—recognized by Seti—are carved on a wall and known as the "[[Abydos King List]]" (showing the [[cartouche]] name of many dynastic pharaohs of Egypt from the first, [[Narmer]] or [[Menes]], until Seti's time). There were significant names deliberately left off of the list. So rare, as an almost complete list of pharaoh names, the Table of Abydos, rediscovered by [[William John Bankes]], has been called the "Rosetta Stone" of Egyptian archaeology, analogous to the [[Rosetta Stone]] for Egyptian writing, beyond the [[Narmer Palette]].<ref name=autogenerated1>Misty Cryer, "Travellers in Egypt – William John Bankes" (2006), TravellersinEgypt.org, web: [http://www.travellersinegypt.org/archives/2004/10/william_john_bankes.html TravEgypt-WJB] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830115640/http://www.travellersinegypt.org/archives/2004/10/william_john_bankes.html |date=2006-08-30 }}: re-discovered Table of Abydos.</ref>

[[File:Abydos Tempel Sethos I. 17.JPG|thumb|left|The Chapel of Amun]]
[[File:AbydosOsireionSouthSide.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Osireion]] at the rear of the temple]]
There were also seven chapels built for the worship of the pharaoh and principal deities. These included three chapels for the "state" deities [[Ptah]], [[Re-Horakhty]], and (centrally positioned) [[Amun]] and the challenge for the Abydos triad of Osiris, Isis and Horus. The rites recorded in the deity chapels represent the first complete form known of the Daily Ritual, which was performed daily in temples across Egypt throughout the pharaonic period. At the back of the temple is an enigmatic structure known as the [[Osireion]], which served as a cenotaph for Seti-Osiris, and is thought to be connected with the worship of [[Osiris]] as an "Osiris tomb".<ref>Caulfield, ''Temple of the Kings''</ref>  It is possible that from those chambers was led out the great Hypogeum for the celebration of the Osiris mysteries, built by Merenptah.<ref>Murray, ''The Osireion at Abydos''</ref> The temple was originally {{convert|550|ft|m|abbr=on}} long, but the forecourts are scarcely recognizable, and the part still in good condition is about
{{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|350|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide, including the wing at the side.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}  Magazines for food and offerings storage were built to either side of the forecourts, as well as a small palace for the king and his retinue, to the southeast of the first forecourt (Ghazouli, The Palace and Magazines Attached to the Temple of Sety I at Abydos and the Facade of This Temple. ASAE 58 (1959)).

Except for the list of pharaohs and a [[panegyric]] on [[Ramesses II]], the subjects are not historical, but religious in nature, dedicated to the transformation of the king after his death. The temple reliefs are celebrated for their delicacy and artistic refinement, utilizing both the archaism of earlier dynasties with the vibrancy of late 18th Dynasty reliefs. The sculptures had been published mostly in hand copy, not facsimile, by [[Auguste Mariette]] in his ''Abydos'', I.  The temple has been partially recorded epigraphically by Amice Calverley and Myrtle Broome in their 4 volume publication of ''The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos'' (1933–1958).

==== King's List ====
{{Main|Abydos King List}}In The Gallery of Ancestors, also referred to as The Gallery of the List, one can find the [[Abydos King List]]. This list is depicted in [[Relief|low relief]], carved under the reign of Seti I, and it shows Seti and Ramesses making offerings to their royal ancestors.<ref>Kemp, Barry. “The Intellectual Foundations of the Early State.” In ''Ancient Egypt:'', 3rd ed., 1: 60. Routledge, 2018. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351166485-3</nowiki>.</ref><ref name=":4">Baines, J. (1984). Abydos, Temple of Sethos I: Preliminary Report. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 70(1), 13. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1177/030751338407000103</nowiki></ref> These royal ancestors are the past kings of Egypt. Notably, some rulers, like the [[Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt|15th Dynasty]] [[Hyksos]] that ruled Egypt during the [[Second Intermediate Period of Egypt|Second Intermediate Period]] 1650-1550 BCE and the reign of the [[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|18th Dynasty]] heretic [[Akhenaten]] of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] 1550–1069, were omitted from the list, possibly due to being associated with periods of internal weakness and divisions.<ref>Verner, Miroslav, and Anna Bryson-Gustová, ''Temple of the World: Sanctuaries, Cults, and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt'' (Cairo, 2013; online edn, Cairo Scholarship Online, 18 Sept. 2014), <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.5743/cairo/9789774165634.001.0001</nowiki>, accessed 24 Sept. 2024.</ref> The Gallery of Ancestors led into the storerooms and the desert behind the temple.

==== Osireion ====
{{Main| Osireion}}
The Osirion or Osireon, meaning "Menmaatre beneficial to Osiris" sometimes called the Osiris Complex, is an ancient Egyptian temple.<ref>O’Connor, David. “The Temple of Seti I.” In ''Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris'', 95. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2009.</ref> It is located to the rear of the temple of Seti I. It is an integral part of Seti I's funeral complex and is built to resemble an [[Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt|18th Dynasty]] [[Valley of the Kings]] tomb.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bard| first = Katheryn |title = Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaarch00bard| url-access = limited| publisher = Routledge | year = 1999 | isbn = 0-415-18589-0|page= [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaarch00bard/page/n166 114]}}</ref> This was possibly used in ritual purposes with the growing of barely that allowed for the symbolic representation of the resurrection of Osiris. Today parts of the Osierion contain water due to the Aswan Dam and rising floodwaters.
[[File:Hieroglif z Abydos.jpg|thumb|The retouched and eroded hieroglyphs in the Temple of Seti I which are said to represent modern vehicles – a helicopter, a submarine, and a zeppelin or plane.]]

==== Helicopter hieroglyphs ====
{{Main|Helicopter hieroglyphs}}
Some of the hieroglyphs carved over an arch on the site have been interpreted in esoteric and "[[ufological]]" circles as depicting modern technology, having been the subject of [[pyramidology]].

The "helicopter" image is the result of carved stone being re-used over time.  The initial carving was made during the reign of [[Seti I]] and translates to "He who repulses the nine [enemies of Egypt]".  This carving was later filled in with plaster and re-carved during the reign of [[Ramesses II]] with the title "He who protects Egypt and overthrows the foreign countries".  Over time, the plaster has eroded away, leaving both inscriptions partially visible and creating a [[palimpsest]]-like effect of overlapping hieroglyphs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finart.be/UfocomHq/usabydos.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050728103638/http://www.finart.be/UfocomHq/usabydos.htm|title=The Abydos temple "helicopter"|archive-date=28 July 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://raincool.blogspot.nl/2010/05/helicopter-hieroglyphs-explained.html|title=Helicopter Hieroglyphs Explained|work=raincool.blogspot.nl|date=23 May 2010 }}</ref>  
[[File:Abydos Tempel Ramses II. 04.JPG|thumb|The Temple of Ramesses II]]

=== Ramesses II temple ===
The adjacent temple of [[Ramesses II]] was much smaller and simpler in plan, but it had a fine historical series of scenes around the outside that lauded his achievements, of which the lower parts remain. The outside of the temple was decorated with scenes of the [[Battle of Kadesh]]. [[Abydos King List (Ramesses II)|His list of pharaohs]], similar to that of Seti I, formerly stood here; the fragments were removed by the French consul and sold to the [[British Museum]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}

==== King's List ====
{{Main|Abydos King List (Ramesses II)}}Inside the temple once stood another Gallery of Ancestors. This list is also depicted in low relief, carved under the reign of Ramesses II, but is more damaged. The surviving fragments were removed by the French consul in 1837 and sold to the [[British Museum]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}

=== Umm El Qa'ab ===
{{Main|Umm El Qa'ab|Tomb of Anedjib}}
[[File:Pyramidion of Nesnubhotep, top of a limestone chapel monument. A scarab and adoring baboons in relief. 26th Dynasty. From Abydos, Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London.jpg|thumb|[[Pyramidion]] of [[Nesnubhotep]], top of a limestone chapel monument. A scarab and adoring baboons in relief. [[Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt|Dynasty XXVI]], Abydos, Egypt. [[Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology]], London]]
[[File:Indus_carnelian_bead_UC30334_Egypt_Middle_Kingdom_London,_Petrie_Museum_of_Egyptian_Archaeology.jpg|thumb|A rare etched [[carnelian]] bead found in Abydos, tomb 197, thought to have been imported from the [[Indus Valley civilisation]] through [[Mesopotamia]], in an example of [[Egypt-Mesopotamia relations]]. Late [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt]]. London, Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, ref. UC30334.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grajetzki |first1=Wolfram |title=Tomb 197 at Abydos, Further Evidence for Long Distance Trade in the Middle Kingdom |journal=Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant |volume=24 |date=2014 |pages=159–170 |jstor=43553796 |doi=10.1553/s159 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Stevenson |first1=Alice |title=Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: Characters and Collections |date=2015 |publisher=UCL Press |isbn=9781910634042 |page=54 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DEZLDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT54 |language=en}}</ref>]]
[[File:20th_Dynasty_Egypt_Gold_Earring.jpg|thumb|A rare 20th Dynasty Gold earring found in Abydos.]]
The royal necropolises of the earliest dynasties were placed about a mile into the great desert plain, in a place now known as [[Umm El Qa'ab]] "The Mother of Pots" because of the shards remaining from all of the devotional objects left by religious pilgrims.

The earliest burial is about {{convert|10|x|20|ft|m|abbr=on}} inside, a pit lined with brick walls and originally roofed with timber and matting. Other tombs also built before Menes are {{convert|15|x|25|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The probable tomb of [[Menes]] is of the latter size. Afterwards, the tombs increased in size and complexity. The tomb-pit was surrounded by chambers to hold offerings, the [[sepulchre]] being a great wooden chamber in the midst of the brick-lined pit. Rows of small pits, tombs for the servants of the pharaoh, surrounded the royal chamber, many dozens of such burials being usual.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}} Some of the offerings included sacrificed animals, such as the [[Asinus|asses]] found in the tomb of [[Merneith]]. Evidence of [[human sacrifice]] exists in the early tombs, such as the 118 servants in the tomb of Merneith, but this practice was changed later into symbolic offerings.

By the end of the Second Dynasty the type of tomb constructed changed to a long passage with chambers on either side, the royal burial being in the middle of the length. The greatest of these tombs with its dependencies, covered a space of over {{convert|3000|m2|acre|abbr=off}}, however it is possible for this to have been several tombs which abutted one another during construction; the Egyptians had no means of mapping the positioning of the tombs.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}} The contents of the tombs have been nearly destroyed by successive plunderers; but enough remained to show that rich jewellery was placed on the mummies, a profusion of vases of hard and valuable stones from the royal table service stood about the body, the store-rooms were filled with great jars of wine, perfumed ointments, and other supplies, and tablets of ivory and of ebony were engraved with a record of the yearly annals of the reigns. The seals of various officials, of which over 200 varieties have been found, give an insight into the public arrangements.<ref>Petrie, ''Royal Tombs'', i. and ii.</ref>{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}

A cemetery for private persons was put into use during the First Dynasty, with some [[pit-tomb]]s in the town. It was extensive in the [[Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt|Twelfth]] and [[Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Thirteenth]] Dynasties and contained many rich tombs. A large number of fine tombs were made in the [[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth]] to [[Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt|Twentieth]] Dynasties, and members of later dynasties continued to bury their dead here until the [[Egypt (Roman province)|Roman period]]. Many hundreds of funeral steles were removed by [[Auguste Mariette]]'s workmen, without any details of the burials being noted.<ref>Mariette, ''Abydos'', ii. and iii.</ref> Later excavations have been recorded by [[Edward R. Ayrton]], Abydos, iii.; MacIver, ''El Amrah and Abydos''; and [[Garstang]], ''El Arabah''.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}

=== "Forts" ===
Some of the tomb structures, referred to as "forts" by modern researchers, lay behind the town. Known as [[Shunet ez Zebib]], it is about {{convert|450|x|250|ft|m|abbr=on}} over all, and one still stands {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}} high. It was built by [[Khasekhemwy]], the last pharaoh of the Second Dynasty. Another structure nearly as large adjoined it, and probably is older than that of Khasekhemwy. A third "fort" of a squarer form is now occupied by a convent of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]]; its age cannot be ascertained.<ref>Ayrton, Abydos, iii.</ref>{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=82}}

=== Kom El Sultan ===
{{Main| Kom El Sultan}}
The area now known as Kom El Sultan is a big mudbrick structure, the purpose of which is not clear and thought to have been at the original settlement area, dated to the [[Early Dynastic Period of Egypt|Early Dynastic Period]]. The structure includes the early temple of [[Osiris]].