The area of Pylons Four, Five and Six at Karnak Temple: assessing the architecture, sequence of construction and ensuing historical implications

This thesis presents a historiographic assessment of the architectural and archaeological study of the area of Pylons Four, Five and Six of the Ancient Egyptian temple of Amun-Re at Karnak. Built during the politically significant period of the reigns of Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut and Thutmose III, this area is characterised by the remains of numerous architectural elements such as pylons, obelisks, columns and colossi that are situated within a relatively small space. Today, the remains of the various building projects of the different pharaohs lie superimposed on top of one another making it difficult for scholars to attribute specific architectural elements to these individual pharaohs. The confusion relating to the historical period has further made it problematic for scholars to determine the sequence of construction of this area of the temple. This study identifies the complexities and trends within the work of scholars Borchardt (1905), Barguet (1962), Carlotti and Gabolde (2003) and Larché (2007) who have endeavoured to reconstruct the building history of this area. Furthermore, it reflects on the impact of contemporary discoveries relating to the archaeology and history of the site during these four phases of study on the area of Pylons Four, Five and Six of Karnak.