Can ancient environmental shifts help us protect Egypt's fragile desert heritage sites today?
In short: The Theban Mountain in Upper Egypt is a desert landscape rich with human history. By studying how past climate fluctuations impacted ancient sites, geo-archaeologist Dr. Judith Bunbury aims to mitigate the risks that contemporary climate change poses to these irreplaceable archaeological treasures.
The Theban Mountain near Luxor served as a site for hunting, herding, prayer, and burial in antiquity. Evidence of this past is still visible today, though the environment has been in constant flux. For instance, the burial site of Tutmosis II, discovered by the New Kingdom Research Foundation, was overwhelmed by flooding shortly after the pharaoh was interred.
Dr. Judith Bunbury of Cambridge University notes that the landscape, including the Nile and surrounding deserts, has changed significantly since these sites were founded. Her research suggests that modern climate change is shifting the environment back toward conditions seen during the New Kingdom and Roman periods. By identifying these historical patterns, researchers hope to better anticipate and manage the impact of current environmental shifts on Egypt's heritage.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Spotlight Lecture: Challenges of Climate Change for Egypt’s Theban Mountain
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