This project investigates the emergence and development of monumental enclosure walls in ancient Egypt, drawing on a wealth of evidence from published excavation reports and new fieldwork conducted at the sites of Tell Edfu, Dendara, and Uronarti. Enclosure walls were defining features of ancient Egyptian communities: they divided sectors within settlements, delimited temples, administrative buildings, citadels, fortresses, mortuary monuments, or palaces, encompassed entire towns, and in rare instances restricted access across broader regions. This dissertation argues that ancient Egyptian monumental enclosure walls should be reconceptualized as an architectural tool through which Egyptian authorities attempted to exert control over the geographic and symbolic landscape.

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