The program of archaeological research described in the present study, which the North Abydos Votive Zone project carried out in 1996 and 1997, constitutes the commencement of the first systematic archaeological investigation of the area adjacent to the main temple of Osiris at Abydos. The extent of the site and its relationship to other structures in North Abydos is illustrated in plate I. The results of two seasons of ongoing archaeological fieldwork in the Votive Zone have demonstrated that the site formed a locus for both state-level initiatives associated with the local cult institution of Osiris, and for non-royal activity by elites and non-elite segments of the population in association with the Osiris mysteries, which formed the central ritual cycle of the temple complex of Abydos. The ongoing study of the components of this complex site through continued excavation and analysis of the evidence of geographical patterning in the distribution of material culture provides a basis for the interpretation of traces of ancient votive behaviour preserved in the archaeological record at the site and contributes significantly to the understanding of the roles of royal and private agency in shaping the development of ritual landscape within the Egyptian context.
New Kingdom Ceramics associated with the Cult Chapel of Thutmose III at Abydos: Preliminary Analysis and Interpretation