Holocene fluvial history of the Nile's west bank at ancient Thebes, Luxor, Egypt, and its relation with cultural dynamics and basin‐wide hydroclimatic variability

A previously unknown abandoned channel of the Nile, located on the western flood plain near ancient Thebes (modern Luxor), was identified through borehole data and electrical resistivity tomography. This minor river branch, dated to the late New Kingdom period via over 2100 ceramic fragments, likely played a significant role in connecting key localities within the ritual landscape of ancient Egypt. The study reveals that changes in this fluvial landscape align with documented periods of basin-wide hydroclimatic variability, establishing a direct link between cultural dynamics and larger-scale hydrological shifts in one of Egypt's most important cultural development areas.

Toonen, W. H. J., Graham, A., Pennington, B. T., Hunter, M. A., Strutt, K. D., Barker, D. S., Masson‐Berghoff, A., & Emery, V. L. (2017). Holocene fluvial history of the Nile’s west bank at ancient Thebes, Luxor, Egypt, and its relation with cultural dynamics and basin‐wide hydroclimatic variability. Geoarchaeology, 33(3), 273–290. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21631