Geoarchaeological Study of the Doush Temple: Analyzing Human-Environment Interactions, Kharga Oasis- Egypt

Document Type : scientific research and articles

Authors

Department of Geography and GIS, Faculty of Arts, Benha University, Benha, Egypt

Abstract

The Doush Temple in Kharga Oasis -Egypt- represents a unique case for geoarchaeological study, providing insights into the interaction between human activity and environmental changes in an arid landscape. This research investigates the temple's construction and the surrounding site's historical layers, revealing that the temple was built over earlier, buried structures, potentially an ancient village or fort. The widespread presence of pottery sherds across the site, especially atop sand-buried ruins, suggests continuous human occupation even after desertification affected the area. The study combines archaeological findings with geomorphological analysis to explore how environmental factors, such as sand accumulation and climate shifts, influenced the region’s settlement patterns. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how ancient civilizations in desert regions adapted to and modified their environments to sustain life and culture.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Alfano, F. R. D. A., Palella, B. I., & Riccio, G. (2023). Moisture in historical buildings from causes to the application of specific diagnostic methodologies. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 61, 150-159.
Aubry, M. P., Dupuis, C., Berggren, W. A., Ghaly, H., Ward, D., King, C., Knox, R., Ouda, K., & Youssef, M. (2016). The role of geoarchaeology in the preservation and management of the Theban Necropolis, West Bank, Egypt. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 61(2), 134-147.
Bagnall, R. S. (1996). Egypt in Late Antiquity. Princeton University Press.
Bravard, J. P., Mostafa, A., Garcier, R., Tallet, G., Ballet, P., Chevalier, Y., & Tronchère, H. (2016). Rise and fall of an Egyptian oasis: Artesian flow, irrigation soils, and historical agricultural development in El‐deir, Kharga Depression, western desert of Egypt. Geoarchaeology, 31(6), 467-486.
Bunbury, J., Ikram, S., & Roughley, C. (2020). Holocene large lake development and desiccation: Changing habitats in the Kharga Basin of the Egyptian Sahara. Geoarchaeology, 35(4), 467-486.
Delannoy, J. J., Geneste, J. M., David, B., Katherine, M., & Gunn, R. G. (2012). Apports de la géomorphologie dans l’aménagement et la construction sociale de sites préhistoriques. PALEO. Revue d'archéologie préhistorique, 23, 85-104.
El-Gohary, M. A., & Moneim, A. A. A. (2021). The environmental factors affecting the archaeological buildings in Egypt: II Deterioration by severe human activities. Periodico di Mineralogia, 90(2).
Kaper, O. (1998). The Egyptian God Tutu: A Study of the Sphinx-God and Master of Demons with a Corpus of Monuments. Peeters Publishers.
Koutkat, M. (2021). Environmental Changes and Human Adaptation in the Kharga Oasis: An Archaeological Perspective. Geoarchaeology Journal, 36(3), 411-430.
Koutkat, M. A. R. (2021). The Heritagescape of the Egyptian Natural Lakes. Arkansas State University.
Kuper, R., & Kröpelin, S. (2006). Climate-Controlled Holocene Occupation in the Sahara: Motor of Africa's Evolution. Science, 313(5788), 803-807.
Manoharan, A., & Umarani, C. (2022). Lime mortar, a boon to the environment: characterization case study and overview. Sustainability, 14(11), 6481.
Magli, G., González-García, A. C., Aviles, J. B., & Antonello, E. (Eds.). (2019). Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World. Springer.
Peacock, D. P. S., & Blue, L. (2006). Myos Hormos - Quseir al-Qadim: Roman and Islamic Ports on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt. Oxbow Books.
Raju, K., & Ravindhar, S. (2023, January). Application of lime mortar in ancient architecture. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2523, No. 1). AIP Publishing.
Rossi, C., & Ikram, S. (2002). Petroglyphs and Inscriptions along the Darb Ayn Amur. Kharga Oasis. Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, 129(2), 142-151.https://doi.org/10.1524/zaes.2002.129.2.142
Rossi, C., & Magli, G. (2019). Wind, Sand and Water: The Orientation of the Late Roman Forts in the Kharga Oasis. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 25, 102- 110.
Rutherford, I. (2016). Hellenistic Encounters with Ancient Egypt: Individual Appropriation and Cultural Adaptation. In Cultural Encounters in Antiquity. Oxford University Press.
Saber, A., & Elbana, A. (2023). Sabil Muhammad Ali in Al-Aqqadin, Cairo: A Study in applied geomorpho-Archaeology. Bulletin de la Société de Géographie d'Egypte, 96(1), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.21608/bsge.2023.296303
Said, R. (1962). The Geology of Egypt. Elsevier.
Schild, R., & Wendorf, F. (2001). Geoarchaeology of the Holocene climatic optimum at Nabta playa, Southwestern desert, Egypt. Geoarchaeology: An International Journal, 16(1), 7-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6548(200101)1 6:1%3C7::AID-GEA3%3E3.0.CO;2-J
Schneider, T. (2012). The Roman Military Presence in the Western Desert of Egypt: Imperial Fortresses and Settlement Patterns. Antiquity, 86(334), 273-290.
Solieman, M. E., Abd El-Rahman, H. A., & El-Sherif, M. A. (2019). Trade and Military Networks in the Western Desert of Egypt during the Roman Period: The Case of the Kharga Oasis. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections, 23(2), 45-59.
Suttner, L. J., Basu, A., & Mack, G. H. (1981). Climate and the origin of quartz arenites. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 51(4), 1235-1246. https://doi.org/10.1306/212F7E7 3-2B24-11D7-8648000102C1865D
Torab, M. (2021). The Effect of Weathering Processes on the Rocks of the Pyramids of Dahshur, South of Giza, Egypt: A Geoarchaeological Study.
Wahed, M. A., Hamdan, M. A., Ramadan, S., Gebril, M. F., & Khadrah, A. M. A. (2023). Morphometry, migration rates, and environmental hazards of barchan dunes in the Kharga Depression, Western Desert, Egypt. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 16(3), 159.