Theoretical reconstruction of the Solar Altar in the Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari

Abstract

In a recent article Andrzej Ćwiek (2015) criticized on ideological grounds one of the hypotheses concerning the reconstruction of the Solar Altar in the Complex of the Sun Cult of the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari. The theoretical reconstruction in question, presented as one of the possibilities in an earlier text by the present author (Dziedzic 2013), called for two obelisks and a sacrificial table standing on the Solar Altar located in the open courtyard of the complex. Ćwiek also pointed to the practical difficulties associated with transportation and placement of stone obelisks. This article describes the technical aspects of transporting and placing obelisks in two different locations. It also contains calculations concerning the weight impact of the altar elements (obelisks) on the altar structure.