IFAO

Since 2000, excavations have been undertaken in the XXVIth dynasty Chapel of Osiris -Ounnefer Neb-djefaou located in the northern part of the temenos of Amun at Karnak. This small temple, whose remains were exposed during the XIXth century, has never been the subject of systematic study. In addition to the publishing of the inscriptions, the project’s focus is on the definition of the structure of the building and its relation to the neighbouring area, especially the path leading to the temple of Ptah and the adjacent mound that takes up a large part of the north-western corner of the temenos of Amun. The excavations have revealed several phases of occupation at the entrance of the chapel, from the XXVIth dynasty to the Coptic period, notably the reuse of several lintel blocks from the Saite chapel in a probably late Roman "hydraulic" settlement. Concerning the temple itself, whose mudbrick and stone walls were badly weathered over the last centuries, a preliminary reconstruction of its plan is suggested.

West of this area, the remains of a large mudbrick building, probably connected to the chapel, have been partly exposed. The pottery recovered in the upper levels can be dated to the Saite period or the end of the Late Period. The general interpretation of this structure is discussed.