Kom Ombo in the 3rd Millennium BC and its importance in the First Upper Egyptian Nome and Beyond
Irene Forstner-Müller (Austrian Archaeological Institute Cairo Branch/Austrian
Academy of Sciences
Abstract
Since 2017, the Austrian Archaeological Institute/Cairo Branch, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, has initiated investigations at the site of Kom Ombo as part of the OeAI Cairo Branch’s research programme on urban and settlement archaeology in Egypt. Located approximately 45 km north of Aswan, Kom Ombo is
an industrial town situated inland from the Nile, best known for the Ptolemaic Temple, a double sanctuary dedicated to the falcon-shaped god Haroeris and the crocodile-shaped
god Sobek. Prior to the Austrian-Egyptian mission’s excavations, little was known about pre-Ptolemaic Kom Ombo. Ongoing work has shed light on the site’s historical significance from the middle of the 2nd dynasty to the 19th century A.D. This paper focuses on the town of Kom Ombo during the 3rd millennium BC, covering the period from the Old Kingdom to the early Middle Kingdom. Evidence suggests that Kom Ombo served as an important administrative centre during the Old Kingdom and maintained close links
with the royal residence. The latest findings, including the recent discovery of a bakery, will be presented in this talk.
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