The rising sun in Egyptology

RESEARCH PROJECTS IN EGYPT

MALKATA SOUTH: In the area of Malkata South the Japanese mission aimed to excavate the remains of a Predynastic culture, but during excavation work they uncovered an extensive stratum of Roman settlement. Three years later the mission discovered a staircase painted with the images of foreign captives at Kom Al-Samak, which is located 240 metres north of the temple of Isis.

Excavations revealed thousands of fragments of mural paintings that once decorated the walls of a building. On the basis of stamped mud bricks from the building, the team concluded that it has been built for Pharaoh Amenhotep III's Sed festival. During the re-examination of the building's architecture and the mural paintings at Amenhotep III's palace at Malkata, numerous fragments of painted walls and ceiling were uncovered. One of the most remarkable motifs was a succession of great vulture figures of the goddess Nekhber spreading her wings under which are depicted the various names and titles of the Pharaoh.

THE THEBEN NECROPOLIS: The Japanese team has discovered hundreds of mummies and human bones in the tombs at Sheikh Abdel-Qurna. Studies have revealed that these mummies seem to have been collected by tomb robbers from burials in the vicinity in order to strip them of their belongings.

During excavation at Draa Abul-Naga, the team uncovered several unregistered tombs including two lost tombs; A21 and A23, which were previously identified but whose location was afterwards forgotten. Excavations also yielded a variety of isolated objects including funerary cones and ushabti figurines.

During the clearance work at the tomb of Amenhotep III the team discovered an intact foundation deposit (votive items buried before construction) for the tomb, as well as royal funerary equipment and an ostraca.