A Chinese archaeological mission working at the Karnak Temple Complex has announced a major new discovery, revealing a previously unknown small sacred lake and three chapels dedicated to the god Osiris, marking one of the most significant archaeological findings at Karnak in recent years.
The discovery was made at the Montu Temple, where the Chinese mission has been conducting excavations for the past seven years. The newly uncovered sacred lake covers an area of approximately 50 square meters and has never been documented in ancient records or previous archaeological surveys, making this the first time it has come to light in the long history of Karnak.
According to Jia Xiaobing, head of the Chinese archaeological mission in Luxor, the newly discovered lake—named the “Southern Sacred Lake”—is an artificial water reservoir dating back to ancient Egyptian times. The lake is remarkably well preserved, including its surrounding structure, and is located on the western side of the Temple of Ma’at, dedicated to the goddess of truth, justice, and cosmic order.
Jia explained that this discovery is particularly important because, unlike the well-known sacred lake north of Karnak, which has been visible for thousands of years, the newly discovered southern lake was completely buried and required systematic excavation. This allows researchers to better understand how sacred lakes were constructed and how ritual practices were performed around them in ancient Egypt.
In addition to the lake, the mission uncovered three chapels dedicated to Osiris, along with dozens of small Osiris statues made from various materials and in different sizes. Archaeologists also recovered a number of stone blocks bearing inscriptions and reliefs dating to Egypt’s Late Period (747–332 BC), associated with kings and deities of that era.
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