Reconstruction of ancient conceptual landscapes in the Nile Valley

Abstract

Conceptual landscapes in Egypt show a remarkable continuity - for as long as 2000 years - in the use of symbols and in the interplay between natural and man-built features. Directionality, both in the sense of succession of elements and of orientation of single buildings and tombs, plays a key role in governing the landscape in accordance with the idea of "cosmic" order, which was the basis of the temporal power of the pharaoh. Comparing satellite image with local surveys and using simple web-based instruments for tracing visibility lines helps in understanding connections and messages which were meant to be clear and obvious in ancient times but may be lost, or forgotten, today. In particular, the prominent role of astronomical and topographical alignments in the planning of successive monuments comes out at sites like Abydos, Giza, Dahshur and at Western Thebes. The way in which the same symbols and elements were elaborated by the "heretic" pharaoh Akhenaten in planning the landscape of his capital at Amarna is also highlighted.