Psammuthis Magazine

Introduction

This storehouse and aviary was located on the south side of Karnak’s sacred lake. Stairs on the structure’s east and west sides allowed access to the building, raised above the lake on a platform. The structure had a central, open air court lined on its south edge by a portico of eight columns. A canal or ramp led from this court to the lake, allowing the sacred geese of Amun to enter and exit the water at will. To the northeast, a squarish court provided a place for animal slaughter. The rear of the building was fully enclosed. North/south running hallways led to small storage rooms and a series of small shrines with sandstone naoi. The building was constructed of mud brick. Sandstone was utilized for doorways and columns.

Inscriptions found at the building show that it functioned as a shena-wab, a place for the preparation of the god’s daily meals. Earlier mentions or depictions of the Amun temple’s shena-wab come from the reigns of Thutmose III, Amenhotep III and Sety II, and it seems likely that the magazines of Psammuthis were a reconstruction of a series of other storage facilities at Karnak, possibly on the same location.

Measurements: The building measured 45.5m by 55.5m and rested on a 4.5m podium.

Phase: Psammuthis

The structure, started by Psammuthis, may have been finished by his successor Hakoris.

Construction materials: sandstone, mudbrick

About the reconstruction model of this phase

The model reconstruction was based on a detailed plan of the building by Traunecker (1987: fig. 3).

A plain mud brick pattern covers most of the structure. Column and some doorways have been given a sandstone pattern to give a general impression of the building’s appearance. No attempt to portray the true size and shape of these elements was made, as such information was unavailable.

A rough reconstruction of the rise on which the magazine stood was modeled in order to represent its position above the level of the lake.

Bibliography and Sources Used for Model Construction

Traunecker, Claude (1987), “les "Temples Hauts" de basse époque: un aspect du fonctionnement économique des temples.” Revue d'égyptologie, vol. 38, 147-162.