The expansive ruins of Karnak Temple provide an unprecedented window into ancient Egypt. According to an international research team, Karnak dates as far back as the Old Kingdom, circa 2591–2152 BCE. Karnak’s earliest construction took place on an island of high ground carved between channels located on the Nile’s eastern and western banks. Palaeolandscape reconstruction at Karnak: a) beginning of the Middle Kingdom (MK); b) end of the Middle Kingdom; c) start of the New Kingdom (NK); d) middle of the New Kingdom; e) end of the Third Intermediate Period (TIP); f ) end of the Macedonian/Ptolemaic period (PP). Credit: University of SouthamptonKnowing this, the archaeologists believe Karnak’s earliest years likely trace back to Egypt’s Old Kingdom around 2,500 years ago.