ARCHAEOLOGY in EGYPT Magazine of the German Archaeological Institute Cairo

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ARCHAEOLOGY IN EGYPT Magazine of the German Archaeological Institute Cairo

Research: The Golden Fu- nerary Mask of Tutankhamun: Scientific Restora- tion and Analysis

The Photographic Archive of the Comité de Conservation de l’Art Arabe

The Nubian Villa- ges on Biga Island

Focus Topic: Elephantine: The Infrastructure of a Long-Term Project

Reports

Events in 2015 Publications

Issue 4, July 2016 Buto

Abu Mena

Cairo

Many projects of the DAI Cairo are based in the Egyptian capital from the conservation of photographic material housed at the Comité de Conservation des Monu- ments de l‘Art Arabe and the restoration of over three-thousand-year-old gold foil fittings from the famous tomb of Tutankh- amun to the documentation of Graeco-Roman papyri in the Egyptian Museum Cairo.

Giza

Dahshur

Fayum

Abydos

Luxor

Aswan

The map shows the sites where the Cairo department of the German Archaeological Institute was active in 2015. Dear readers,

The DAI Cairo has worked in Egypt for over 100 years and explores the diverse Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic remains that are preserved throughout the country. The department aims to cover a wide range of projects in both geographical as well as chronological terms: sites from the cataract region to the northern Nile Delta that date between the 4th millennium BC to the Islamic and modern era constitute research objects. In the scope of these projects, archaeologists are con- stantly faced with scientific and infrastructural challenges that require new research approaches and methods. In addition to »traditional« archaeological work, cultural preservation has also become a particularly important focus of the DAI's activities and has led to the Cairo department’s initiation of various new projects in the form of conservation work on monuments as well as work in archives and abandoned Nubian villages. During the course of these activities, the cooperation with the Egyptian authorities is paramount. And it is precisely these projects that this issue would like to focus on.

The editors

2015 1 TOPICS Credits © German Archaeological Institute 4 The Photographic Archive of the Comité de Conserva- Cairo 2016 tion de l’Art Arabe 31, Sh. Abu el-Feda, ET-11211 Cairo- The Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe came into Zamalek being in December 1881 and was founded partly as a reaction to the neglect and occasional destruction of medieval Cairo. As the photo- Tel.: +20 2735 1460, 2735 2321 Fax: +20 2737 0770 graphic and plan archive of the Comité represents an indispensible e-mail: [email protected] source of information for modern science, the DAI Cairo initiated a Homepage: www.dainst.org facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ project to restore the over 100-years-old glass plates and plans stored DAINST.Kairo there. Editors: Wolfram Stähle, Katharina Stöve- sand, Anita Kriener, Isa Böhme Design and Layout: Isa Böhme 10 Research: Translation: Catherine H. Jones The Golden Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun: Printed by Doors Print House, Cairo Scientific Restoration and Analysis Donations account in Germany: In the autumn of 2014, the beard of the funerary mask came loose Payee: Bundeskasse Halle Bank account: Deutsche Bundesbank during cleaning work inside the display case. The subsequent reat- Leipzig branch tachment of the beard to the mask was not ideally carried out. In BIC: MARKDEF1860 IBAN: DE38 8600 000 000 8600 1040 order to undertake the necessary restoration and related archaeological-technical investigations, the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Prof. Please state which specific project you Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty invited the DAI Cairo and the Roman-Germanic would like to support in the payment ref- erence. An exhaustive list can be found Central Museum Mainz (RGZM) to work on the mask. During restora- at: https://www.dainst.org/forschung/ tion, decisive insights were gained into the mask's technical con- projekte. struction. Members of staff 2015

Directorate: Prof. Dr. Stephan Seidlmay- er (managing director) • PD Dr. Daniel 20 The Nubian Villages on Biga Island Polz (scientific director, editorial depart- Since 2008, a cooperation project between the Technical University ment) Berlin and the DAI Cairo has been undertaken to document the ar- Secretariat, reception and administra- chitectural history and ethnology of two abandoned villages situated tion: Nesma Ahmed (reception) • Anita on the Island of Biga ca. 10 km to the south of Aswan in Upper Egypt. Bokor (secretariat) • Hussein el-Zeneiny • Sebastian Heller (administration) • André During the course of several fieldwork campaigns, the traditional liv- Tummernicht (administration) ing environment of Egyptian Nubians has been explored. Due to their Library and archive: Dr. Ulrich Har- tung • Isolde Lehnert, M.A., Dipl.-Bibl. • Fakhry El-Khady  Photo archive: Dr.-Ing. Felix Arnold • Ab- del Nasser Altayeb (digitization) • Peter Windszus (photographer)

Public relations: Dr. des. Johanna Sigl

Editors: Isa Böhme, M.A. • Wolfram Stäh- le, M.A. • Katharina Stövesand, M.A.

Members of staff: Dr. des. Nicole Alex- anian • Sebastian Falk, B.A. • Dr. Peter Grossmann • Dr. des. Rita Hartmann • Anita Kriener, M.A. • Prof. Dr. Cornelia Römer • Dr. Ute Rummel • Marie-Kristin Schröder, M.A. • Hannah Sonbol, M.A. • Dr. Susanne Voß-Kern

2 Cairo settlement of the cataract island that lies the closest to the first reservoir dam, the inhabitants of Biga Island were severely affected by the consequences of the dam's construction as well as the two subsequent elevations of the dam, and lost their houses and the surrounding area of cultivation a total of three times.

44 Focus topic: Elephantine: The Infrastructure of a Long-Term Project A fully-functional infrastructure is a vital prerequisite for long-term settlement excavations. Over the last few years, increased efforts have been made to improve the infrastructure of the Elephantine excavations. Steps were taken to renovate the excavation house, extend the available storage spaces, and reorganize and inventory the storerooms.

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FEATURES  Working on a drawing on Biga Island (photo M. Kacicnik) Map of Egypt 1 Editorial  The island landscape around 28 Reports Elephantine at the First Nile News and notes on archaeological fieldwork and other research Cataract, view to the western Nile projects of the DAI Cairo bank (photo L. Borrmann) 37 Events 40 Books 42 Spotlight

2015 3 The Photographic Archive of the Comité de Conservation de l’Art Arabe With conviction and energetic optimism that the monuments of Egypt could be documented by means of an inventoried record, Napoleon Bonaparte was the first political leader to also take a host of French scientists along with him on his military campaign to Egypt. The multi-volume collection of texts and plates known as the Description de l’Égypte published between 1820 and 1830 not only contained surveyed and documented Pharaonic buildings known at the time but also several important buildings from the Islamic period.

Once Napoleon's troops had withdrawn from the foundation of an institution to oversee Egypt, the country underwent extensive mod- the preservation of historical monuments, the ernization in the spheres of administration and Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art urban development during the 19th century Arabe was established on the 18th of December and the reign of Muhammad Ali (1805–1848) and 1881 and presided over by the Waqf adminis- his sons. Particularly under the rule of Ismail tration. In article 2 of this decree, the duties of (1863–1879), a grandson of Muhammad Ali, Cairo the Comité are described as follows: was transformed into a European-style capital. The 19th century was also the time of archae- 1. To compile an inventory of Arabian mo- ological excavations throughout the entire numents of artistic or historical interest. country which resulted in the discovery of new 2. To supervise the maintenance and res- Pharaonic buildings. Due to concerns related toration of these monuments, whereby to Egypt's archaeological heritage, Muhammad the Comité is obliged to inform the Waqf- Ali issued a decree as early as 1835 for the pro- Minister about measures that need to be tection of archaeological remains and the re- taken, particularly high-priority ones. striction of trade in antique objects. The ini- 3. To give an expert opinion on and sanc- tiation of the Egyptian Antiquities Services in tion planned restoration measures, and 1858 under the direction of the French Egypto- to supervise their implementation. logist Auguste Mariette was also related to these 4. To store the plans of all undertaken work concerns as well as the foundation of Egypt's in the Ministry's archive, and to notify first national museum in the Cairo district of the Ministry of any architectural remains Boulaq in 1863. Furthermore, the so-called that should be transferred to the Nation- awqaf, religious endowments e.g. for the main- al Museum in the interest of their preser- tenance of old Islamic buildings, were placed vation. under central state administration. Initial restoration measures were carried out on impor- fter its inaugural meeting in 1882, the tant buildings by this state-run institution, the Comité comprised two sub-commit- later Ministry for Religious Endowments (Waqf tees: a commission responsible for the administration), which were however strongly Alisting of Arabian architectural monuments criticized by numerous European scholars of (founding members: Husain Fahmi Pascha, Rogers Islamic architecture. During an international Bey and Ali Fahmi Effendi), and a commission to congress of specialists in Oriental Studies that survey and inventory buildings in need of res- took place in 1874, an inventory of Cairo's his- toration (the architects Franz Bey (later Pascha), torical buildings was called for as a reaction Baudry, Bourgoin and Izzat Effendi). All members to complaints about the desolate situation of worked on a voluntary basis. In 1889, Max Herz Islamic architecture in Egypt. (later Herz Pascha) was appointed head archi- After a decree had been issued by Khedive tect. In order to accomplish the tasks related Muhammad Taufiq Pascha in 1881 that called for to this work, he was provided with a technical

2015 5 office with three members of staff and received cluded photographs and plans of a salary from that point on. historical monuments.

s stated in article 2, the Comité regard- rom 1882 onwards, the in- ed the compilation of a comprehensive ventory lists were regularly list of the monuments with which it supplemented with archi- Ahad been entrusted as the most pressing is- Ftectural documentation and pho- sue particularly in view of the continuing de- tographs of specific buildings. struction of Islamic architectural monuments. The fact that the historical monu- For this purpose, a further commission was ments, regardless of whether they founded, which by 1883 had already compiled were Pharaonic or Islamic, were an initial list of 664 buildings in Cairo's urban particularly suitable objects for area that were worthy of protection. In addi- early photography with its lengthy tion to preparing a register of historical build- exposure time, led to an alliance ings, photographic documentation of these between the documentation of buildings was also started. In 1890, the Com- monuments and photography. ité published the first classement of Arabian The Comité's official task to com- monuments, which included 205 buildings in pile and supply inventory lists was Cairo and 10 in the provinces. Of the 664 build- its declared scientific goal; a love ings located in Cairo that were listed in 1883 of Cairo's historical centre was as monuments worthy of protection, only 205 an added bonus. Today we there- were classed as listed buildings. The antiqui- fore have a large number of glass ties law at that time stipulated that a building plates that show daily scenes from had to be at least one hundred years old in or- Cairo's old town. Renowned pho- der to be classified as worthy of preservation. The last of these classements was published in  1950 and included more than 480 architectural objects in the capital. In its form defined in 1881, the Comité retained its legal status until the year 1924, however only few meetings were held after the First World War. During the course of an administrative reform, the Comité subsequently became part of the Ministry of Education in 1936. Under Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe was then incorporated into the Service des Antiqués Égypti- ennes, and finally dissolved as an independent authority in 1961.

Photography

as a means The first volume on the re- tographers of the time were com- of cultural sults of the Comité's work missioned for this work. Alongside was published as early as a large number of unknown photo- preservation 1882 in the form of an annu- graphers (presumably members of al report. Up until 1953, a total the Comité's staff), distinguished of 40 volumes were published which, along- photographers of the time such as side the proceedings of the meetings, also in- A. Beato, Lekegian, Bonfils, Sebbah, Be-

6 Cairo  

 Citadel, military barracks, today the Center of Docu- mentation  State of the wooden shelving units in 2002 with stored glass negatives (photo G. Harich-Hamburg- er)  Extent of the damage made by insects on a glass negative (photo G. Harich-Hamburger)

chard, Reiser Guinetto and Fuirillo are recorded photographic paper. The glass plates stored on on the photos. These early photos constitute the citadel have been registered in a book, and the basis of the Comité's Photographic Archive. numbered with a corresponding number on In 1931, the archive was set up in a building the individual glass plate. For suitable storage, next to the Sarghatmish mosque in order to specially-made wooden cabinets were built, house the photographic plates that already in which the photo plates could be stood up- numbered in their thousands at the time. In right. Unfortunately, several glass plates were 1985, this archive, together with the archi- broken during the work on site and transporta- tectural plan archive, was transferred to the tion, and also as a result of incorrect handling Center of Documentation on the citadel. A sec- of the plates. As the wooden shelving units ond area was also set up in the upper storey of are not dust-proof, the surfaces of all the glass the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Abassia, plates are substantially covered with dust. which houses all meeting protocols and annual reports. Initial he Photographic Archive comprises ca. 14,000 objects, mainly silver conservation The photographic heritage gelatine glass negatives and acetate measures must be examined, put into order and stored in an ap- Tsheet film negatives. The ca. 13,500 glass negatives in formats measuring between propriate manner after conservation and digi- 13 x 18 and 30 x 40 cm are stored in 27 wood- tization. This scope of tasks formed the basis en storage units with slide-in drawers. The of an application for our work on the citadel. In remaining objects are kept in boxes made of 2002, a joint application was filed by the Egyp-

2015 7 

tian Antiquities Services, the Sorbonne Univer- fingerprints, oxidation mottling, delamination sity, the IFAO Cairo, the CULTNAT and the DAI and shrinkage of the substrate in the case of Cairo to conserve, restore and digitalize the the acetate negatives had had a major impact Photographic Archive of the Comité. This pro- on the archive's holdings. The following res- ject aimed to preserve this significant cultural toration objectives were defined as a result of asset and to document it in such a way that the these problems: the professional cleaning of archive as a whole is accessible for scientific the glass and the sheet film negatives, the con- purposes. servation and restoration of the photographic plates and the sheet film negatives, the appro- ith financial support from the For- priate filing and storage of archive material (in eign Office of the Federal Republic acid-free paper envelopes as well as in dust- of Germany, the restoration of the free and temperature-controlled rooms), and finally the digitization of the entire collection Wglass plates was started in the autumn of 2002 by the DAI Cairo. Between October 2002 and of negatives. October 2003, an initial restoration phase was Unfortunately, the restoration and the conser- carried out under the direction of the resto- vation of the photo plates could not be com- ration specialist, Gisela Harich-Hamburger from pleted in the first phase. Also the digitization Germany together with members of staff from of the holdings arranged with the IFAO Cairo the Egyptian Antiquities Services. With the in- came to a standstill. After an interruption of duction and sensitization of Egyptian person- ten years, a second phase of restoration and nel, the project also aimed at training addi- conservation was begun, which will be com- tional capacities for future restoration. pleted by summer 2016. The work was super- The scope of the damage at the project's out- vised by Kerstin Bartels, a qualified restorer set was alarming: dirt, insect damage, infes- who specializes in photography. In the course tation of microorganisms, breakage of glass, of this project phase, employees of the Antiq- toration/conservation and digitization should  be started as soon as possible in order to en- sure that this cultural treasure is not lost for good!

The treasures of An archive of invaluable worth is located on the cita- the citadel del of Cairo, the significance of which cannot be measured high enough. Its value is based on the extraordinary quality of the historical images that provide an overview of the architectural culture from the Islamic and Coptic periods in Cairo and Egypt, and also serve as a working  Plan for the reconstruction of the basis for conservators of historical monuments Kalaun dome from the year 1908 as well as for scientists. With the Photographic  Team members working in the Archive, the Antiquities Services holds a treas- Center of Documentation on the ure, which also entails the responsibility for citadel (photos W. Mayer) its preservation. Many of the depicted buildings are no longer preserved or have been severely affected by environmental influences or changed as a result of reconstruction work. uities Services are trained in the methods and Today this collection, which in itself is a cultur- techniques of photo restoration. It is also to be al asset worthy of preservation, is an important hoped that the situation concerning available working basis for the conservation of historical rooms on the citadel will be improved in the monuments. It is essential to examine, arrange near future. and preserve the heritage of the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe and n addition to the archive of glass negatives to store it in an appropriate way. These hold- and the sheet film negatives, an extensive ings could also be made available for scientific corpus of photographic prints and plans purposes by digitizing the photographs. Thus, the DAI Cairo has made a first step by conserv- Iis also stored on the citadel. This archive of positives comprises prints of almost all glass ing and restoring the photo plates, but further plates, and is therefore a significant pool for steps must be taken in order to preserve this further research as many of the glass plates important cultural asset for the future. have disappeared or have been broken over the years. Furthermore, numerous photo al- bums on restoration measures that were mainly undertaken after 1920 also exist that are nei- AUTHOR ther ordered nor inventoried – a pending task Wolfgang Mayer studied architecture that should be started as soon as possible! in Stuttgart and Innsbruck, and gradu- Today, a substantial part of the plan archive, ated in 1973. which similar to the photographic archive goes Since his studies, he has worked on back to the very beginnings of the Comité, is in archaeological projects in Egypt and an extremely critical state. Several plans are Germany, and specializes in restora- ripped or have been incorrectly glued back to- tion. gether, and the inventory, documentation, res-

2015 9 The Golden Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun

[ Scientific Restoration and Analysis ] [ ] When the majority of people throughout the world think of ancient Egypt, one name immediately springs to mind: Tutankhamun. The discovery of his tomb in 1922, which had been left untouched for almost three thousand years, sparked a veri- table »Tutomania«, influenced fashion, design and creative artists, and fascinated scientists, Inexpertly attached beard with adhe- children, journalists, heads of state as well as sive residue (photo millions of travellers beyond all measure. Above Ch. Eckmann, RGZM) all, the golden funerary mask of the young pharaoh is respected and celebrated worldwide as an icon of Egyptian archaeology. During the Arab Spring in 2011, stylized graffiti of the mask adorned buildings and walls surrounding the Tahrir Square as a symbol of national identity. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that specu- lations related to the irreparable damage of the mask that arose in January 2015 received worldwide attention.

12 Cairo What had In August 2014, maintenance happened? work was carried out on the display case of the funerary mask for which the mask had to be removed. During the removal, the ceremonial beard that is decorated with glass inlays became loose. After this unfortunate accident, which is not uncommon when handling objects that have been subjected to restorative measures of the past century, regrettably the beard was hastily glued back onto the mask using a quick-setting epoxy resin. This process resulted in the formation of a yellowish-brown residue as a result of excess artificial resin, which ultimately tarnished this extraordinary masterpiece.

2015 13 Custom-built multi-part negative form for storage of the mask (photo V. Iserhardt, RGZM)

the explanation that the beard had not been attached to the mask when the tomb was first discovered and therefore had not strictly been broken off, finally led to an objective debate about the mask and an abate- ment of public uproar. At the time of the tomb's discovery by Howard Cart- What er in 1922, the ceremo- Even though these measures nial beard had already become detached from happened were clearly visible for every- the mask, and the mask and the beard were then? one to see, surprisingly not separately exhibited in the Egyptian Museum much notice was initially taken in Cairo for quite some time. In the 1940s, the of this unfortunate mishap. It was not until half beard was reattached to the mask for the very a year later in January 2015 that this chain of first time. events came to the attention of the press and subsequently triggered a worldwide storm of outrage, which culminated in the accusation that the mask had been irreparably damaged. During this particularly difficult situation for the Egyptian Antiquities Services, the former he technically correct restoration of the minister, Prof. Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty, requested golden mask of Tutankhamun was of vi- two conservators of the Roman-Germanic Cen- tal importance. In light of this, the Minis- tral Museum, Mainz (RGZM) to act as independ- Tter of Antiquities approached the Cairo Depart- ent evaluators and provide an extensive analy- ment of the German Archaeological Institute sis of the damage. At that time, the two RGZM (DAI) and the RGZM, and requested that they members of staff were involved in another conduct the restoration of the funerary mask. cooperation project at the Egyptian Museum Several aspects were essential for the decision in Cairo to study previously unpublished gold to meet this request: It is astounding that the finds from the tomb of Tutankhamun (see also funerary mask of Tutankhamun has not been Archaeology in Egypt, Issue 2/2014, pp. 16–21). studied exhaustively in terms of archaeology, On the one hand, the damage report revealed technology and the natural sciences since its the deficiencies of the measures carried out discovery in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62). For but on the other hand also ascertained that example, it was still unclear how many sheets the incorrect restoration could indeed be re- of gold had been pieced together to create the versed. This assessment, which was publicly mask, which gold alloys were used to produce announced during a press conference given the sheets, what materials were used for the by the Ministry of Antiquities, together with glass and gemstone inlays, and which putties

14 Cairo and compound masses these were embedded was planned. The first priority was to fulfil all into. This request therefore provided a »golden necessary requirements for the safe and suc- opportunity« in every sense of the phrase to cessful investigation of the funerary mask. extensively analyse this artistic masterpiece Consequently, a storage room located in the using the most up-to-date research methods Egyptian Museum was rearranged to function for the very first time with a particular focus as a laboratory with the sole purpose of work- on the previously unexplored production tech- ing on the funerary mask. It was of vital impor- nique of the mask. tance that this laboratory was equipped with In addition to the fundamental research of the necessary infrastructure whilst also taking one of the key pieces of the tomb's funerary security issues into account. equipment, a scientific-political aspect of this Parallel to these preparatory steps, the mask, project also came into effect. The fact that Ger- which remained on display during this phase man expertise was requested in such a difficult of the project, was measured three-dimen- situation demonstrates the high level of trust sionally using a structured-light scanner. The that has been built up during the coopera- primary aim of this step was to create a geo- tion with the Egyptian Antiquities Services for metrically exact virtual representation of the many years. When this bond of mutual trust is mask in its actual state, which could then act strengthened and the concept of a research- as a basis for the documentation of all changes oriented restoration is conveyed during which every action is in accordance with the object and which forms the basis for gaining precise knowledge of the object itself, awareness of the fields of restoration and archaeology in Egypt is promoted, and the partnership be- Preparations for transportation of the mask tween both countries is reinforced in these ar- (photos A. Amin, Egyptian Museum Cairo) eas of work. As a result of the positive signal that the DAI Cairo and the RGZM sent to the Egyptian Minis- ter of Antiquities, the Minister issued a decree implementing a scientific advisory committee composed of international scholars including appointed representatives from the DAI Cairo, the RGZM and also other high-ranking institutions, i.e. the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Grand Egyptian Museum as well as the Univer- sity College London. The committee's task was to oversee the specific restoration measures as well as to support the planned investigations on the mask within the frame of a continual process of coordination and decision-making.

Initial preparations Once the constitu- tive session of the advisory committee had been held in April 2015, a concept for the restoration measures was developed, and the specific work procedure

2015 15 made to the mask once the incorrectly attached beard had been removed and subsequently reattached. This work was supported in an unbureaucratic way by the Institute for Spatial Information and Surveying Technology, I3 Mainz. Furthermore, the obtained data was used to produce a custom- made, multi-part »negative-form« which was manufactured by means of a 3D-milling process. This form not only guaranteed safe transportation of the mask from the current exhibition space to the laboratory but also provided for stable storage and ideal protection of the mask throughout the scientific investigation as it was necessary to position the mask horizontally for this purpose.

reparation for the project also involved raising the necessary funds in order to Pfinance the planned measures. On the initiative of the DAI Cairo, the Foreign Office of the Federal Re- public of Germany as well as the Gerda Henkel Foundation kindly granted funding at short notice which constituted a fundamental above: prerequisite for the successful realization chin area of the mask of the project. with the remains of the broken tube The below: restoration inside view of the beard and tube with The concept for a substantial amount the controlled detachment of the of epoxy resin (pho- beard was initially based on a rela- tos Ch. Eckmann, tively simple strategy: The epoxy RGZM) resin, which is generally unaffect- ed by common solvents, was to be

16 Cairo systematically subjected to an accelerated, artificial aging process by repeatedly heating and cooling the glue joint (by means of a temperature- controlled hot air blower with a nozzle outlet measuring ca. 2 mm). The aim of this process was to reduce its powerful adhesive strength and binding properties, i.e. to make the resin brittle. At the same time, this process was used with the intention of reducing the viscosity of the adhesive, which stays extremely solid at room temperature, and temporarily transforming it into a slightly softer substance. This was the only way to gently re- move the adhesive with fine lime-wood scrapers from the highly scratch-prone surface of the gold. Prior to the planned measures, the Henkel Company analysed the physical properties of the adhesive, and therefore contributed valuable information to the devel- above: opment of the concept. Egyptian and Ger- man team members at work in the laboratory

below: n October 2015, the ac- beard and extracted tual restoration of the inner tube of the fu- mask could finally be started. The devel- nerary mask (photos Ioped concept turned out to be a success and Ch. Eckmann, RGZM) the controlled separation of the beard from the mask was accomplished according to plan within the expected timeframe. However, a factor which had not been foreseen and which came to the surprise of all team members was what was actually found inside the beard. All previously stated and also published ideas, i.e. the assumption that the beard had originally been attached to the mask's chin by means of a wooden tenon or the notion that the beard

2015 17 left: team members analysing the composition of the gold via p-RFA

right: The Egyptian Minister of An- tiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty (right) and the team of restor- ers at the celebratory presentation of the funerary mask

quite some time whether the plan to extract the inner tube would actually work. The adhesive resin surrounding the inner tube was removed in millimetre-thin sections from a space that was so had been filled with a ceramic-like mass and narrow that only few instruments fitted inside, weighed 2.5 kg, turned out to be incorrect. until after several weeks of laborious work, the In actual fact, the beard was made from a rela- two pieces could finally be separated from one tively thin sheet of gold with a total weight of another. Consequently, the inner tube was re- ca. 160 g and was therefore hollow, and there fixed to the jagged edge underneath the chin, were no traces of a dowel or of any necessary and the actual beard was then pushed over components for a counter attachment (e.g. a it. In order to join the two separate parts, the perforation of the gold sheet on the underside minute gap was filled with beeswax and fixed of the chin). Instead, a second, ca. 5.5 cm-long additionally at two specific points inside the tube made of beaten gold with a D-shaped beard with a reversible, specially-modified cross-section had been inserted into the cer- thermoplastic adhesive. emonial beard which originally functioned as the connecting element between the mask and the beard, and had probably broken off during Antiquity. As a result of the rash reattachment of the beard, an alarmingly large amount of epoxy resin had seeped into the extremely uring the course of the restoration narrow space (less than 1 mm) between the measures, extensive investigations two separately manufactured pieces and glued and scientific analyses were conduct- both objects together into an almost insepa- Ded to establish the production techniques and rable compound. However, the extraction of materials used to create the funerary mask. this inner tube was a vital prerequisite for the Renowned experts from the University College beard's reattachment, and we can say with- London and Heidelberg University contributed out a doubt that this step became the most dif- to the cooperation with specialist knowledge ficult challenge of the project: In view of this from the fields of archaeometallurgy and ar- unexpected turn of events, it was unclear for chaeological material studies. The results of

18 Cairo these investigations are currently being ana- AUTHORS lysed and evaluated, and will be presented in Katja Broschat is a conservator at the Ro- their entirety in a conclusive joint publication man-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz. that will also include the extremely interest- Her specialist field is the restoration of ing story behind the discovery of the object as ancient glass and its production methods. well as several archaeological and art histori- She is currently working on the gold-plate cal questions. fittings of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Christian Eckmann is a conservator and works for the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz. He was jointly responsi- n the 16th of December 2015, this high- ble for the restoration and conservation of ly-challenging and exceptional project the large and small copper statues of the finally came to a successful end. In the pharaoh Pepi I in the Egyptian Museum in Oframe of a press conference arranged by the Cairo. Minister of Antiquities in Egypt and attended by high-ranking representatives of the For- Stephan Seidlmayer is an Egyptologist and eign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany Professor at the FU Berlin. He has been ac- and the German Embassy in Cairo, the newly- tively involved in a wide range of projects restored funerary mask of Tutankhamun was in Egypt for almost 30 years. In 2009 he ceremonially presented. The mask is now dis- was appointed as the managing director played in its usual spot in the Egyptian Muse- of the Cairo Department of the German Ar- um in Cairo and can be viewed once again by chaeological Institute. the interested public in its original splendour.

2015 19 A door with a traditional wooden lock opens into a room in which the majority of the original furnishings are still preserved (photo M. Kac- icnik) The Nubian Villages on Biga Island

The construction of the first As- wan Dam (1898–1902), the subsequent elevations and fi- en- nally the building of the High viron- Dam at the end of the 1960s ment of the Egyp- resulted in the destruction of tian Nubians was almost a major part of Nubia's civil ar- completely extinguished and chitecture by flooding. The As- the population was resettled wan High Dam meant the down- in newly-built villages to the fall of Nubia: The former living north of Aswan. Map of Biga Island (C. Hartl-Reiter/D. Schäffler)

22 Cairo The project

Together with Hesa and Awad, Biga was one of the three occupied islands that are located in the reservoir between the two Aswan dams. »Was« is used intentionally in this case because, while the two other islands are still occupied, Biga has gradually been abandoned since the mid 1980s.

n the scope of a project funded by the German Research Foun- dation (DFG) and conducted by Ithe German Archaeological Insti- tute Cairo in cooperation with the department for the History of Ar- chitecture and Urban Planning of the Technical University Berlin, the two abandoned villages on Biga island have been documented. The project is extraordinary in two ways: On the one hand, this project does not involve any archaeology, in fact it was not even necessary to carry out surface cleaning, and on the other, the project does not en- compass any ancient sites or even monumental buildings. Therefore, the study object is unique: On Biga Island we are dealing with two villages which remained standing after the flooding of the entire Egyptian Nubian land, and which display features of historically preserved Nubian building tradition. As the original character of Nubian culture is in continual decline and the few existing Nubian villages in the Aswan region are being increasingly transformed to create

above: view over Biga village below: survey work on Biga (photos M. Kacicnik)

2015 23  

 Ground plan of one of the houses that runs through the village and esque character of the building. On with an extended economical area access to individual houses (draw- the other hand however, the varying fitted into the space between the ing O. Zenker)  Section through levels of the house made it difficult natural bedrock (drawing O. Wolter) one of the houses. The difference in to use as it was actually conceived  Ground plan of the hamlet Balle. height between the individual levels as a one-storey building (drawing Analysis of the network of paths contributes greatly to the pictur- W. Różewicz)  and  Typical mo-

an artificial backdrop in order to fulfil pre- interdisciplinary approach to document and existing folkloristic expectations of travellers, analyse the two villages. Two lines of closely- present-day housing construction is complete- related research will be pursued, i.e. an inves- ly overshadowed by examples of architecture tigation of the villages' architectural history as with which Nubians and Egyptians in general well as an ethnological study of their former come into contact during their work stays in inhabitants. The research encompasses the the cities throughout the entire Arabian cul- architectural-artistic idiosyncrasies of the pre- tural region. served buildings as well as the traditional Nu- The settlements on Biga which were aban- bian way of village life as it existed before the doned almost 30 years ago and are composed island's inhabitants were resettled. of buildings that date between ca. 1910 and Another important aim of the project is to pro- 1980, are predominantly preserved in their au- vide young scientists with the opportunity to thentic state despite the fact that they have further their qualifications. For example, an been subjected to gradual deterioration. MA-thesis was written by O. Zenker in the scope Therefore, they provide an ideal opportunity to of the project which provides an in-depth carry out a thorough and time-consuming in- analysis of the settlement structure and the vestigation with a focus on their architectural construction methods employed in the smaller history that would not be possible in an occu- of the two villages. Observations made dur- pied settlement. ing field studies according to an ethnological approach will constitute an important part of F. Keshk's PhD-thesis on the use of open spaces he aim of the research project is to in ancient Egypt. In addition, two further re- contribute to the research, conserva- search projects are planned for students: a tion and visualization of the traditional BA-thesis on the potential and opportunities Tculture of Nubians in Egypt by means of an provided by the restoration of the villages and

24 Cairo   

tifs of the wall paintings in the houses on Biga Island: a train with a laid table below, and a plant in full bloom placed in a pot (pho- to M. Kacicnik) the development of a concept for tourism on measurement, 3D photography and, despite the island as well as a second project on digital the varied technical support, the indispensible site management. measurement by hand constituted the basis of the working methods used to study the architectural history, whilst structured interviews Fieldwork and extensive enquiries were part of the reper- toire of the ethnological methods. In the autumn of 2015 and the spring of 2016, A topographical map of the whole island as two research campaigns took place on Biga. well as detailed plans of all preserved hous- The material substance of the two villages was es and economical buildings were drawn up. documented in an extremely high level of de- When developing these plans, attention was tail that is uncommon for profane architecture, not only paid to the individual houses within and was described and explored in depth as a their enclosure walls; the relationship of the witness of the increasingly threatened and to a clearly defined enclosed rooms to their im- large extent already lost Nubian culture. mediate and extended surroundings was also The documentation provides information on incorporated into the examination. The pre- several different levels: from the entire island dominantly unavoidable and ambitious in- as a living environment with houses, agricul- tegration of the natural topography into the tural terrain and rocky landscape, the spatial design and arrangement of the living and eco- organization of the individual residential and nomical spaces is one of the most significant economical structures, architectural details, characteristics of the two villages as well as of mobile furnishings of the rooms to the social the individual buildings. structure of the village community. Accord- The plans represent a fundamental basis for ingly, the working methods used on site were further analysis such as the spatial and social diverse. Differential GPS, computer-aided organization, the chronological development,

2015 25 

Compared with the houses of ancient Nubia that are famous for their rich ornamentation, the architectural decorations in Biga are extremely modest. They are essentially limited to two rather simple elements: curved gable walls of vaults bounded by a rim of narrow ledges as well as pierced compositions consisting of triangular forms. The latter are used in a variety of ways: as handrails for steps, balus- trades for terraces or as wall copings, to deco- rate the panels of walls and finally as a motif in wall paintings. The structure of the walls and the employed building materials combined with the propor- tions, colours and the fall of light and shadows gave the houses aesthetic qualities that go far beyond the intentionally formed structural or-  namentation.

Wall paintings and room furnishings

Unlike other villages of ancient Nubia, in which the painting of houses exclusively belonged to the domain of women, the male inhabitants of Biga were also involved in this process. The motifs, which predominantly adorned the in-  Furnishings of a bridal room on Biga (photo A. Goo- ner walls of the courtyards and houses, can Grauer 1964)  A toy radio made from discarded wood be classified into several groups. Plants count (photo B. Schäfer) – A former inhabitant of Biga (pho- as one of the most common images, particu- to A. Goo-Grauer 1964 und 2015) larly the palm tree. Modes of transport such as trains and cars as well as laid tables also the utilization, the detailed construction or the belong to the more popular representations. state of preservation of the villages. Only a few paintings show genre scenes or tell stories. And finally, commemorative paintings of pilgrimages are also represented. Architecture and ornamentation In contrast to the simple structural decoration and wall paintings, the tradition of bridal The individual houses consist of a sequence rooms was as alive on Biga as in other Nubian of both roofed and open spaces, the major- regions. Prior to the wedding, young women ity of which were used for multi-functional prepared the furnishings of the bridal rooms purposes. Only few rooms can be assigned a which were part of her dowry and were in- non-varying function. For the construction of tended to be the pride of the new household. these houses, natural materials were used that In a horror vacui, the women covered the walls almost exclusively originated from the island and the ceiling of the room with objects that itself. Despite the simple design of these con- were considered to be valuable as well as ob- structions, they provided the most comfort- jects which they had made themselves such able living conditions possible for the prevail- as mats, baskets or lids. The wealth of col- ing climate. ours and structure of this seemingly magical

26 Cairo  

world that was plunged into semi-darkness is r. Armgard Goo-Grauer, one of the few unfortunately hardly perceptible in the empty specialists on Nubian culture world- rooms that remain. wide, lived on the island for several Dweeks in 1964. Numerous personal contacts that developed during her stay over 50 years he reconstruction of the complex in- ago could be reactivated and enabled us to terrelationship of public, semi-public, conduct interviews on site. Thanks to the in- semi-private and private rooms was depth enquiries made during the course of our Tmade possible thanks to the preservation of project, the spatial coherences have become much of the original room furnishings. In the clear, and the rhythm of daily life could be re- case of the everyday objects, the items are constructed. similar to those that are still used today but in The scientific recording of oral transmission, certain cases they already possess an antique the juxtaposition of objective facts and sub- character. The diversity of materials and things jective memories of the former inhabitants that have been retrieved and repurposed is provides us with a unique opportunity that is remarkable, starting with ancient building otherwise non-existent in the study of aban- stones and ending with tin cans for preserving doned villages or in archaeology in general, food. Refuse and remains were converted into and in this way contributes to the exceptional objects of everyday use, toys, kitchenware, nature of the project. boats, furniture, and finally into jewellery and ornaments. This admirable scale of creativity that is undoubtedly rooted in a lack of means has, in the face of ever-increasing environmental problems, the power to inspire. AUTHOR

Bernadeta Schäfer is an architect and works as a research associate at the The people department for the History of Archi- tecture and Urban Planning of the TU The fortunate circumstance that the former Berlin. Since 2006, she has participated inhabitants of Biga still live in the surround- in numerous research ventures mainly ing area provides us with a chance to verify our throughout the Arabian cultural region hypotheses developed on site via interviews. in her capacity as an architectural his- The field of ethnology plays a key role in this torian and conservator. process.

2015 27 Ceramic vessels made in the tradition of the Lower Egyptian Buto-Maadi culture (photo R. Hartmann)

the area excavated so far is too small A particularly remarkable fea- Lower Egypt to provide a complete picture, the ture was found in a courtyard and structures dating to the beginning constitutes an approx. 5 x 4 m-large of the 1st Dynasty seem to have de- installation consisting of 10 small, Tell el-Fara‘in/Buto veloped from a largely continuous parallel-running and only ca. 40 cm- series of several building phases high walls with the partial remains As the development of an eco- consisting of farm-like units for liv- of a mat covering. This construction nomical complex from the begin- ing and working that date to the late could have been used to dry agricul- ning of the 1st Dynasty (ca. 3100 BC) predynastic period (Naqada IIIB). tural produce such as grain or other to the construction of a palace-like Various features such as hearths, fruits but perhaps also meat or building complex in the late 1st Dy- ovens and circular storage bins are fish that was laid out on the raised nasty and its destruction in the mid testimonies of the agricultural and mat to dry in the sun and thereby 2nd Dynasty (ca. 2800 BC) could be household activities of the inhabit- protected from the humidity of the traced over the last few years, the ants. A large fire pit contained for ground underneath. Hardly any focus of ongoing excavations cur- example several conical and ca. comparable installations are known rently lies on the study of the pre- 80 cm-long pottery supports that throughout Egypt for this time pe- ceding predynastic structures in could have been placed in the pit to riod but they are regularly attested order to find evidence for the begin- keep a large vat upright during the in settlements located in the Near ning of this development. Although production of beer. East.

28 Cairo In a certain section of the excava- ated with the mud-brick buildings of using local quarrystones and clay, tion trenches, underlying settlement the subsequent settlement phases and were erected quickly and with- remains of the Naqada IIIA-period conform to traditions of the Upper out any particular care. The ground were also reached during last year's Egyptian Naqada culture. The exca- plan and range of finds attested in campaign. In the areas uncovered to vated structure made of light mate- Dahshur have direct parallels in the date, these structures are not com- rials obviously represents the latest gallery-like workers' settlements in settlement phase Giza and Wadi el-Jarf. Buildings of of the Buto-Maadi this type were mainly used in the  culture, the repre- context of large-scale construction sentatives of which sites of the Pyramid Age and during were the first set- expeditions, and were used as store- tlers in Buto sev- rooms, as spaces for eating, resting eral hundred years and sleeping and as areas for food before during the production. Future excavation and early 4th millen- scientific analysis of several cells is nium BC. highly promising. Ulrich Hartung During the Ramesside period approximately 1300 years after the construction of the Bent Pyra- mid, the Valley Temple of the Bent Pyramid was torn down in order to reuse the large and already hewn limestone blocks in other buildings.  Even blocks with relief decoration were not spared during this process. The transportation of the heavy  Late predynastic blocks through the soft desert sand fire pit with pottery was facilitated by creating a path supports made of waste limestone chips and blocks that had accumulated when  Possible installa- the blocks were cut to a smaller tion to dry grain or size. In the spring campaign of 2015, we were able to establish via auger other agricultural drilling that this path led all the way produce (Naqada to the fertile plain and runs over a IIIB) (photos U. Har- total distance of around 775 m. To tung) our great surprise, numerous limestone fragments decorated with relief had fortunately been built into posed of mud-brick buildings but of this path and we were able to recov- light constructions presumably with Middle Egypt er 140 such examples. On the basis wattle and daub walls that are only of these new finds, our aim is to pro- recognizable in the archaeological vide a more complete reconstruc- record as a discolouration of their Dahshur tion of the decoration programme of narrow foundation trenches. The the oldest pyramid temple in Egypt. oldest feature excavated to date In the spring of 2015, fieldwork To the west of the pyramid of (Naqada IIIA1, ca. 3350 BC) was was once again undertaken in Dah- Amenemhat II (12th Dyn., Middle found in such a structure, which shur with the intention of clarifying Kingdom, ca. 1900 BC) lies a burial seems to have been destroyed by questions that still remained unan- ground composed of shaft tombs fire, namely the remains of the as- swered. In the so-called workers' belonging to subordinate court of- sociated ceramic inventory includ- settlement located to the south ficials. These shaft tombs are ar- ing fragments of storage and cook- of the Red Pyramid, the magneto- ranged in two rows which lie at right ing vessels, numerous bowls from metric survey came to a success- angles to one another. In the area small bag-shaped vessels and other ful close. The magnetogram shows where the two rows of shafts meet, a vessel types. Over half of these ves- 20 ca. 27 x 7 m-large, adjacently- miniature mastaba (7M8) measuring sels have been made in the tradition arranged cells. The cells are sur- 1.84 m in length and 0.97 m in width, of the Lower Egyptian Buto-Maadi rounded by a ca. 130 x 56 m-large and the 6 m-deep shaft located in culture whereas the pottery associ- enclosure wall. All walls were built front of it were both excavated. In

2015 29  

 The magnetogram embedded into a satellite image in Google Earth shows the workers' accommodation. Features in yellow are the results of measurements taken in 2013, blue are measurements made in 2015, whereas red indicates hearths and kilns (T. Herbich, DAI Cairo)  Whitewashed miniature mastaba with a central offering niche as well as the associated shaft in front (i.e. to the east) surrounded by a mud-brick wall (photo J. Pinke, DAI Cairo, DAH-2015-F- JP-00130).

the chamber situated in the south- were classified and documented The Cult of Osiris west, a well-preserved burial was in the form of drawings and photo- in Umm el-Qaab found contained in a wooden coffin. graphs. In addition, numerous stone The buried individual was covered vessels made of varying types of The project to study the cult of with the remains of a cartonnage stone such as basalt, porphyry and Osiris in Abydos was continued in and wore a neckpiece composed of dolomite, objects of ivory, copper, 2015 and one of the objectives of the faience beads and stylized beetles. semi-precious stones, wood, plant autumn campaign was to clean sev- The tomb was constructed at the fibre and unfired clay were recorded eral objects from an in-situ deposit end of the Old Kingdom and does in order to reconstruct the original found in the area between the tombs not belong to the cemetery of Amen- tomb inventory and to gain further of Djer and Peribsen (O-5N, pit 7). emhat II but to an older necropolis. information on the material culture These objects include a wooden, Clarification of the tombs' super- and technology of this formative double-columned headrest, which structures is of particular impor- phase of pharaonic history. on the basis of its typology can be tance as hardly anything is known Due to substantial transforma- dated to the Old Kingdom. This find about how Middle Kingdom shafts tion processes within the tombs, together with several recently dis- were marked aboveground. Clari- which can be explained by the long covered fragments of ceramic ves- fication of this typologically and and intensive cultic use of the royal sels that can also be dated to the chronologically important question necropolis that continued into the Old Kingdom shows that secondary concerning the superstructures will Graeco-Roman period as well as by ritual practices in Umm el-Qaab – be a focus of future work. previous excavation activities car- after Khasekhemwy's burial at the Nicole Alexanian ried out for example by Emile Amélin- end of the 2nd Dynasty the site was eau and Flinders Petrie, the attribu- no longer used as a royal necropo- The Early Dynastic Royal tion of individual objects to specific lis – did not initially start during the Tombs of Umm el-Qaab tombs and the reconstruction of the Middle Kingdom or the late First In- inventories is an extremely difficult termediate Period as previously as- The work undertaken in 2015 by task. sumed but can be traced back to a the DAI in the early dynastic royal Furthermore, the extremely frag- much earlier time. cemetery of Umm el-Qaab and in mented human remains as well as The headrest was found in the cooperation with the University archaeobotanical samples such as same archaeological context as sev- of Vienna since 2014, focussed on wood and plant seeds were thor- eral rectangular wooden boxes with working through and publishing oughly investigated in order to col- sliding lids, which were also cleaned the enormous amount of finds re- lect more data on the bioarchaeo- in autumn 2015 and studied in detail. covered during previous excava- logical setting of the necropolis. The interpretation of these wooden tions. For example large amounts These intensive campaigns to re- boxes is somewhat enigmatic par- of pre- and protodynastic pottery view the excavated material have ticularly in view of their contents: from Cemeteries U and B, and early made a considerable contribution lumps of a resin-like substance was dynastic pottery from the tombs of to the progress of the documenta- recovered inside, in which human the kings Djer (early 1st Dynasty), tion and to the prompt publication teeth had been embedded. Another Semerkhet (late 1st Dynasty) and of this important site. surprise came when the contents of Khasekhemwy (late 2nd Dynasty) Christiana Köhler a vessel found in the in-situ deposit

30 Cairo Headrest and wooden boxes containing human teeth (photo A. Gatzsche)

O-NNO were investigated more the techniques used in forensics. closely. At first glance we were rath- Upper Egypt Seen in a global context, the use of er disillusioned with the material as such techniques in the archaeologi- it was composed of small to minute cal field is not new but they have pieces of thinly formed clay that sur- Living Environments: only been employed in Egypt to a rounded a resinous mass and small Middle Kingdom limited degree: This was mainly due amounts of botanical remains. How- Residential Buildings on to an absence of the necessary in- ever, after thorough investigation Elephantine frastructure, above all laboratories. we were able to establish that the In the meantime, this situation has material in question was in fact the The aim of the sub-project »Real- changed. The local university insti- remains of a cult figure. This object ities of Life« conducted by the DAI tutes for geology and biochemistry is an unfortunately extremely frag- as part of the ongoing work on Ele- throughout Egypt, and particularly mentary, hollow mummiform statue phantine, is the study of everyday also in Aswan, are exceptionally made from a light, cream-coloured life in a pharaonic city. Since the au- well-equipped. Until now, these fa- clay with only a marginal amount tumn of 2013, excavations have tak- cilities have only been used on rare of temper. The figure was originally en place in the north-western part occasions in the scope of archaeo- coated with a dark resinous mass. of the settlement mound on the Nile logical projects, or in the case of As- The fragments originate exclusively island. These excavations focus on wan, have never been used for this from the front side of the figure. The the remains of houses dating to the purpose. In the autumn of 2016, ini- entire back as well as the rear part of Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000–1700 BC) tial samples will be analysed in the the legs, and unfortunately also the in order to find indications of three laboratory of the Faculty of Science whole section above the shoulders components of everyday life that of Aswan University. In this way, it is are missing. The reconstructed total were essential in ancient times and hoped that a successful cooperation height of the figure (the preserved are still valid today, i.e. sustenance, will be initiated to the advantage of part of the feet to the neck area) work and living environment. Mod- both parties. In addition to methods measures ca. 45 cm. The hollow, ern methods adopted from various from the natural sciences, theoreti- mummiform figure was obviously fields of the natural sciences (biol- cal models as well as the integra- filled with a resinous mass that was ogy, chemistry, pedology etc.) pro- tion of ethno-archaeological studies interspersed with numerous small vide archaeological research with provide an exceptional background botanical particles. opportunities to obtain information for interpretation. For example Andreas Effland from the smallest details, similar to thoughts on the dispersion of smells

2015 31 or the visibility of houses could be donated by Hatshepsut for the pro- Anuket with an offering of ointment. projected onto the current archaeo- cessional bark of Khnum during the It is possible that these structural logical state of Elephantine. Such first years of her reign when she was components originate from a third influential factors are decisive for still depicted as a woman. The pil- and as yet unknown building. All the sense of well-being of the peo- lars of the peristyle and the walls three structures are older than the ple who originally lived there. Ini- of the bark chamber are decorated Khnum temple, which was built dur- tial results show that the excavated with scenes of rituals associated ing the reign of Thutmose III, and houses were indeed well-protected with the offering table. Traces of therefore must have been erected from external smells and observers burning and graffiti on the exterior at a time when the preceding Mid- walking past on the village paths walls of the building indicate the dle Kingdom building of the Khnum by means of a skilful arrangement eventful existence of this structure. temple was still standing. of doors and rooms. Therefore, the The second building dates to the Felix Arnold construction principle of the ancient preceding reign of her husband, Egyptian houses not only took the Thutmose II. The decoration of a The Rock Inscriptions and functionality of various rooms into number of these wall blocks in- Rock Art of the Aswan account but also the private sphere cludes for example the donation of Region: A New Epigraphic of the inhabitants. animals to the temple, the initia- Feature on the Island of Johanna Sigl tion of the king into the temple, the Sehel coronation of the king as well as The New Kingdom Khnum the presentation of year-branches In the region of the First Cata- Temple on Elephantine to the king. Additional fragments ract roughly halfway between the from pillars and architraves are old Aswan Dam and Elephantine In autumn 2015, documentation also preserved with inscriptions in lies the Island of Sehel. Once a re- of the structural components of the sunk relief. This building could also gional site for the worship of the New Kingdom Khnum temple was have functioned as a way station for local goddess Anuket, the island is continued. The research object of a divine bark. The representations now known primarily as the loca- this year's work were blocks that suggest that the building served to tion of several hundred rock inscrip- had been re-used in the founda- temporarily house the bark of the tions from pharaonic times. These tion of the temple of Nectanebo II. king. This could have been the origi- inscriptions can mainly be found in These structural components do not nal location of the seated statue of the south-eastern area of the island originate from the actual Khnum Thutmose II garbed in the sed festi- on the rock faces of the granite hills temple but were used to construct val robe which is now exhibited in Hussein Tagug and Bibi Tagug that a range of smaller structures that the Museum on Elephantine. rise high above the island's shore- must have stood at the western Two of the blocks that were line. There, within sight of the ear- rear side of the temple. According found in the foundation of Nectane- lier rock shrine dedicated to Anuket, to the current state of our investiga- bo's temple bear the name of Thut- participants and observers of the tions, the blocks in question come mose I. One of the blocks in question annual festival processions that from at least two different buildings. was originally part of the inner side took place in honour of the goddess One of the buildings was a way sta- of a lintel, the other shows a scene immortalized themselves especially tion equipped with a peristyle and in which the king presents goddess during the New Kingdom (ca. 15th to

Block from Elephantine with the names of Thutmose I. The king presents an offering of ointment to Anuket

32 Cairo Aswan, western face of the rocky hill of Bibi Tagug. The imposing granite formations characterize the south-eastern area of the Island Sehel (view from Hussein Tagug). Several hundred ancient rock inscriptions and images were carved into their surface from the Old Kingdom to the Graeco-Roman period but above all during the New Kingdom (photo L. Borrmann)

12th cent. BC) so that they could con- images were discovered. As a result, strata. In all likelihood, these indi- tinually partake in the events per- the number of sources of this very viduals were responsible for tasks formed for her cult. specific object group increased from related to administration, policing In addition to the inscriptions of 66 to 131. or transport logistics which also in- the festival participants, the rock It became particularly noticeable volved controlling the terrain, and faces of Sehel however also bear that the rock art was not predomi- set their connection with the island other epigraphic sources which nantly located in the immediate into stone at the very spot of their have not received much attention surroundings of the ancient shrine activities. Thus, an independent epi- throughout the almost 200 year- but were scattered over three find graphic tradition emerged alongside long exploration of the island: The spots along the shoreline of Sehel's the elaborate tableaux in the sur- sources in question are textless dy- south-eastern point. Therefore, rounding area of the Anuket shrine nastic images that do not primarily these images seem to mark a sec- and along the processional route(s), seem to be related to the aforemen- ond functional area of the island which sheds new light onto the an- tioned cult activities. These images, which, similar to its sacred signifi- cient usage of the Sehel landscape which are rather small and have only cance, also led to epigraphic pro- and its historical development. been superficially scratched into the ductivity. The motifs as well as the Linda Borrmann rock surface, mainly depict one or spatial arrangement of the rock art more standing men who sometimes indicate that the images were opti- Deir Anba Hadra hold a staff, a sceptre and/or a stick cally oriented towards the southern (Monastery of St. Simeon) as an attribute. Besides this motif, landing point as well as the south- only few other themes are attested and north-easterly course of the Over the course of two cam- including occasional representa- Nile and thematically related to the paigns that took place in 2015, in- tions that could be interpreted as events that occurred there. Instead vestigations into the architectural scenes. of being engraved by the region's ar- history and archaeology of the mo- In the course of an extensive sur- tisanal workshops as was normally nastic church and the economical vey of the terrain, which was carried the case, these images were created area were conducted for the very out during two field campaigns in by the inscription owners them- first time in the »Monastery of Saint 2014 and 2015, a total of 65 as yet selves who obviously belonged to Simeon«. Once wind-borne sand unknown images and groups of the illiterate or semi-literate social had been removed in selected ar-

2015 33 eas of the monastic complex, a lo- in the monastery yielded interest- use of a portable device to analyse cal measuring grid was set up in the ing results. Inscriptions of Mecca pil- the X-ray fluorescence of the objects interior of the monastery and linked grims from the late Ayyubid (1171– in question yielded decisive results, to the grid system used on Elephan- 1250) and Mamluk (1250–1517) which show that the gold foil frag- tine. With this measuring grid as a periods show that individual rooms ments can be separated into several basis, Sebastian Olschok, M. A. (Ber- of the monastery were used as a clearly distinguishable groups on GSAS, FU Berlin) and Dr.-Ing. Heike hostel for hajj-pilgrims. the basis of their chemical makeup. Lehmann (University of Cologne) were Lena Krastel These groups generally correspond able to create a 3D-model for the with the stylistic classification of economical areas and the church re- the objects that was established by spectively using the Structure from Cairo Motion technique and the software product Agisoft. These models were  then used to produce drawings of The Gold Foil Fittings of the ground plans, elevations and Tutankhamun cross-sections in a scale of 1:20. Small trenches were excavated in In the scope of a project to study the economical area by Sebastian the gold foil fragments from the Olschok, and the unearthed organic tomb of Tutankhamun, a project materials were analysed by the pal- carried out as a cooperation be- aeobotanist Dr. Mennat-Allah el-Dorry tween the DAI Cairo, the Roman- (Cairo). Germanic Central Museum in Mainz Work on the layers of plaster and and the IANES Institute at the Uni- whitewash that cover the walls of versity of Tübingen, substantial the monastery's church was contin- progress was made during 2014 and ued by the conservator Dipl.-Rest. 2015. In addition to the ongoing Alexandra Winkels (Freiburg i. Br.), archaeological-iconographic inves- documentation of the wall paintings tigations and the restoration of the was once again undertaken by Dr. fragments, various archaeometric Gertrud van Loon (Catholic University and technological analyses were Leuven) and the collation of the Cop- also conducted. For example, the tic inscriptions by Lena Krastell, M. A. (BerGSAS, FU Berlin). At the same   time, Dr. Kathryn Piquette (University College London) aimed at making highly-weathered wall paintings and inscriptions more visible via Re- flectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and infrared-reflectography. The best results were achieved with high-resolution photographs that were processed for the computer programme ImageJ with the plug-in DStretch. Documentation of the Arabic inscriptions by Anna Chrysostomides, M. A. (Oxford University) and Sara Masoud (SCA Aswan) in a monk's cell

 Gold foil fitting from the chariot equipment of Tutankhamun (photo Ch. Eckmann)  Decorative binding of Georg Ebers' »Aegypten«  Repair work on a metal lamp of the Mamluk period

34 Cairo means of an iconographic analysis had over 44,000 volumes at their truck with three axles. If the books so that the evaluation of these con- disposal including approximately were set upright in a row next to one sistencies will lead to new insights. 300 continuous periodicals and another, they would stretch over a Furthermore, various investiga- series, a few maps and other non- distance of more than one kilometre tions were conducted on the sub- books. And another 3,200 books can – a distance, which can be covered strates, which had largely survived be accessed by scholars working by the fastest women in the world in and formed a base for the gold foil. on long-term on-site projects in the two and a half minutes. The layers of leather that form these seven excavation houses. Regarding the form, it is normally bases were technologically ana- For more detailed statistical the case that a book takes on the lysed and could be related to com- data, a whole range of other criteria appearance of a square, rectangu- parable material preserved in the are relevant. The colour of the most lar or an oblong form, at least in the context of the chariot equipment frequent binding however is not on West. However, there are always as was also the case with the gold this list despite the fact that this is exceptions to this rule. It stands to foil fragments themselves. Textiles, a helpful memory tool when trying reason and is almost self-explana- which were also used as a base for to find a particular book. A more im- tory that one of the special cases the gold foil besides layers of leather portant category is the size and/or in Egyptological publications rep- and plaster cast, were investigated height of a book, which is why this resents a pyramidal triangle – what as well. was integrated into the catalogue else. Incidentally, the Egyptologist Julia Bertsch index entry especially since the li- Georg Ebers used an artistic design braries holding millions of books of fake gemstones on the binding to Book and Library have no other choice than to arrange enhance his masterpiece that de- Statistics 2015: A Slightly their books according to size simply scribes the land along the banks of Different Approach due to lack of space. Our range of the Nile. books still remains under the one- One of the most fundamental fea- Normally, a statistical evaluation metre-mark starting from 10 cm and tures of the books is the language in of this kind is expected to provide rising gradually to a height of 89 cm, which they are published. The upper numbers on the three larger areas which of course has a major impact ranks are occupied by the tradition- of acquisition, cataloguing and us- on the weight of the books: Current- al academic languages of Egyptol- age: Thanks to the annual addition ly the four storeys of our library hold ogy: 37 % in German, a smaller third of 500 new acquisitions obtained in roughly 22 tons of paper which is in English, 20 % in French. Much 2015, the over 1,000 library guests equal to the weight of a fully-loaded further down on the scale is Arabic with 3.5 % in approximately 1,600 volumes and just below that, Ital- ian. The remaining books are mainly published in Latin, Dutch, Spanish and Russian with 230 to 140 titles in descending order. And at the lowest end of the scale are 19 languages, of which Japanese is geographically the most distant one from the DAI Cairo's library. Over two thirds of the books were published during the 20th century, and in second place is the 21st century with 17 %. The 19th century is represented by 7 % of the holdings and the last percent encompasses 210 titles that were published between 1482 and 1799. Our oldest book is a »Journey to the Holy Land (Reise in das gelobte Land)« by the Nurem- berg pilgrim Hans Tucher, which became a bestseller at the time. And for remarks on the inner life of the books and other curiosities, we will have to wait until the next issue. Isolde Lehnert

2015 35 Conserving a Mamluk Metal Lamp housed in the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo

When a bomb exploded in 2011, the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo was severely damaged. Numerous objects displayed in the exhibition rooms were badly damaged and in some cases almost completely destroyed. Following an appeal made by the UNESCO, the German Holders of the travel grant in 2015 during a workshop at the DAI Cairo Archaeological Institute Cairo to- on the 24.01.2016 gether with the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany financed conservation work to re- twisted brass could, to a certain es of interest in Upper Egypt to aid store the museum's metal objects. extent, be reshaped to its original teachers preparing and conducting The work could be initiated in No- form. The brass fragments, which day trips in the region. In addition vember 2015. Of the affected metal were not severely misshapen, were to developing teaching materials, objects, a lamp from the Mamluk not straightened out but left in their interactive days with children were period suffered the greatest dam- current state as a testimony to the organized and carried out in coop- age from the explosion. According to destruction and vandalism of our eration with the public relations de- the museum's head conservator, the time. partment of the DAI Cairo and the metal lamp is one of the oldest ex- Erico Peintner local inspectorates. These events amples of its kind as it dates to the aimed at providing young people 16th century. The lamp is composed Study Material on with information on certain topics of six pieces and has a height of Egyptian Archaeology in a creative and interesting way. In 303 cm and a diameter of 96 cm. The spring, the Elephantine children's main body of the lamp is made of Thanks to financial support workshop took place in Aswan, in brass and, in its original design, was provided by the Foreign Office and which ca. 130 children from the near- fashioned out of individual brass granted in the frame of the Trans- by schools participated. Alongside sub-sections to create a cylindrical formation Partnership formed be- a writing- and a 3D-puzzle-station, form (lantern form). The individual tween Egypt and the Federal Re- the children could also take part in brass elements were then joined to- public of Germany, the associated a guided tour of the archaeologi- gether by using a special solder con- project that was initiated at the DAI cal site on the island. On the prem- necting technique. The main body is Cairo in 2012 could be continued. ises of our cooperation partner, the supported by legs, and it ends at the The past year's activities included German Evangelical High School in top in a dome. The engraved deco- the development of two new exer- Cairo, an event called »Nubia Day« ration is typical for the time during cise books, and the organization was also held in 2015, where the DAI the Mamluk-Burji Dynasty (early 16th and implementation of interactive Cairo presented the archaeology cent. under Sultan Al-Ashraf-Qansuh days with children. The exercise and history of Nubia. With the help al-Ghawry). book that will be published in 2016 of different arts and crafts stations, In order to produce an initial deals with methods in archaeology. the children were taught about the draft for the restoration of the lamp, The main aim of this book is to pro- numerous pyramids that were built a work group was formed that in- vide a description of all aspects of in the Sudan and are not particu- cluded the museum's head conser- the excavation process including its larly well known in Egypt, with the vator, Dr. Hamdi, and other conser- systematic nature, documentation aim of awakening their interest for vators employed at the museum to standards, and legal requirements, archaeological sites beyond Egypt's draw up a catalogue of measures i.e. aspects that contrast strongly borders. for the conservation of the lamp. with the ever-increasing activity of Hannah Sonbol It was only possible to restore the illegal excavation. With this in mind, brass fragments, many of which had the importance of the archaeologi- The Scholarship buckled during the explosion's im- cal context is emphasized in the Programme of the DAI pact, to their original state with an study material compared with the Cairo enormous amount of effort. At the uselessness of one more beautiful end of an extremely time-consum- but contextless statue. The second In 2015, the DAI Cairo was once ing heating process, the bent and exercise book concentrates on plac- again able to grant scholarships to

36 Cairo young Egyptian scientists thanks utmost importance to the travel economic transformation processes to the financial support of the For- programme of all scholarship hold- during the transitional phase from eign Office. A total of 29 scholarship ers of 2015, and was made possible Late Antiquity to the early Islamic holders from the fields of Egyptol- thanks to the support of our part- period in Egypt (6th to 8th cent. AD). ogy, Coptic Studies, Islamic Archae- ners in Berlin, Bonn, Heidelberg, Written and archaeological sources ology, Papyrology, Museology and Hildesheim, Leipzig, Mannheim, will be studied in order to investi- Conservation could be awarded Munich and Wurzburg. In order to gate how the Arabian conquest in with a travel or research grant. The complete and evaluate their schol- the year AD 642 influenced the eco- group of scholars who received a arship, the travel grant holders of nomic environment of Egyptian so- travel bursary was the largest with 2015 came together for a workshop ciety, particularly the urban centres. a total of 15 scholarship holders. In on the 24.01.2016 on the premises of The study focuses e.g. on the chang- the autumn of 2015, they travelled the DAI Cairo where they presented es to the taxation of land and indi- to Germany in three groups each their work, exchanged feedback, viduals, financial administration, for a period of ca. two weeks and and shared their experiences. and also the opening of new trade visited Egyptological institutions Sebastian Falk routes. A key focus of the study will and museum collections. Another be the region of Aswan and Elephan- focus of 2015 was a papyrological * * * tine. This region has been archaeo- workshop organized together with logically investigated since the late the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus For several years, the DAI Cairo 1960s by the DAI Cairo and its co- Collection Berlin, which took place has endeavoured to broaden the operation partners. Understanding over four days in November. The DAI range of its research projects, continuity and change over a period Cairo was able to grant ten scholar- which are mainly focussed on the of several thousand years is the ma- ships to students of Greek papyrol- pharaonic and Coptic periods, by jor advantage of these long-term ogy of the Ain Shams University in also encompassing the subject area projects, and will unequivocally Cairo to attend this workshop. of Egypt's younger Islamic history. benefit a study of these transforma- A third focus was the funding of With this aim, the DAI has granted tion processes. The scholarship as young scholars who are currently post-doctoral scholarships since well as the opportunity to exchange working on independent research 2001 to scholars investigating areas information and ideas with the projects or qualification degrees. that diverge from the department's relevant specialists allows greater In this line of funding, the DAI Cairo key focuses. In this way, the DAI pro- access to the topic than would oth- was able to grant four scholarships motes interdisciplinary exchange erwise be possible by studying the to young Egyptian scientists, who and supports the development of texts and the maps alone. I would each spent a month in Berlin and scientific networks that are upheld like to extend my thanks to the DAI Hamburg in autumn 2015 and spring long after the time frame of the for this change in perspective and 2016 researching for their projects scholarship itself. In October 2015, especially to all colleagues who are or completing an internship. As was the historian S. Schmidt was granted accompanying the study and have the case in previous years, the cul- a scholarship and since then has patiently answered all questions tural and personal exchange was, conducted independent research at posed. in addition to scientific aspects, of the DAI Cairo. The project addresses Stefanie Schmidt

Order of Merit Award of with complex administrative proce- the Federal Republic of dures related to the local authori- Germany ties and consequently enabled the realization of a whole range of ven- On the 9th of February 2015, Amani tures and research activities, which Ghanem, long-term employee of the without her mediation would not DAI Cairo, received the Order of have been possible at all or would Merit on a ribbon of the Federal Re- have been delayed to a great extent. public of Germany. For generations In addition to her initial duties as an of both Egyptian and German scien- administrative clerk and interpreter, tists, students and guests, Amani Gha- Amani quickly became more involved nem was an immense help in dealing in the Institute’s activities and took on further tasks particularly the rep- Amani Ghanem with resentation of the Institute when the Order of Merit communicating with the Egyptian authorities or in the field of »public

2015 37 relations« between the Institute and the Egyptian media. Furthermore as a result of her diplomatic skills she made a significant contribution to the relationship between Germany and Egypt throughout her career by acting as a mediator during the con- troversial return of Egyptian objects. In 2013, after 40 years’ service, Amani Ghanem retired from the DAI Cairo but remained dedicated to the Institute. In recognition of her contributions to the Egyptian-German relation- Opening of the exhibition »Papyri from Karanis« in the Egyptian Museum in ship and to the DAI Cairo, Amani Gha- Cairo in March 2015 with St. Seidlmayer (right), the German ambassador nem was awarded the Order of Merit Hansjörg Haber (second from right), the Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh by the German ambassador during Eldamaty (front row, centre) and Cornelia Römer (second from left) (photo a celebration held at the Institute’s P. Windszus) premises in February 2015. * * *

On the 23.07.2015, the Faculty for Scientific Events objects from the tomb of Tutankh- Cultural Studies of the Ludwig-Max- amun that are functionally and imilian’s University Munich awarded In February 2015, the DAI Cairo iconographically close to the gold Johanna Sigl, scientific associate of and the DAAD Cairo celebrated the foil fittings is planned for the future. the DAI Cairo, with one of the three opening of the exhibition »Papyri This includes for example the chari- prizes for exceptional PhD-projects from Karanis. Voices from a multi- ots, the quivers and boxes contain- for her study on The animal finds of cultural society in ancient Fayum« ing bows as well as the golden dag- Syene/Aswan. A contribution to the by Prof. Dr. Cornelia Römer. This spe- ger sheaths. In combination with environmental and cultural history cial exhibition shown in the Egyp- the ongoing work, these additional of an Upper Egyptian town from the tian Museum was initiated on the analyses aim to comprehensively pharaonic Late Period to the Mamluk occasion of a publication of papyri understand the gold foil fittings in period. editions from Karanis, which are terms of their function, technology housed in the Egyptian Museum, and cultural history, and ultimately and therefore honours the publica- to contextualize them within the Project Days tion project of Cornelia Römer togeth- range of objects found in the tomb er with Mohamed el-Maghrabi and their but also to put them into the overall As is the case with every year, the students of the Ain Shams Univer- context of the late 18th Dynasty. project directors of all DAI Cairo ven- sity Cairo. tures came together for a workshop Due to the great success of this * * * in June 2015, the annual project exhibition, it will be shown for a sec- days. This event aims to constitute ond time at the »Egyptian Center for In Late Antique Egypt, churches an information platform and to pro- International Cultural Cooperation«. and monasteries are described as mote scientific exchange. »topos«. The localization of specific * * * knowledge, which consisted of the story of a saint and his relationship Lepsius Day 2015 At the beginning of March 2015, with a particular »place« was a con- an international workshop took stituent factor of local identity. At The annually held celebrations place in Cairo on »The Goldsheet- the same time, churches and mon- to honour Karl Richard Lepsius, the Appliqués from the Tomb of Tut- asteries, as the owners of resources, »father« of German Egyptology took ankhamun – Design, Function and producers and consumers, were po- place in 2015 on the traditional date Technology«, during which special- tent agents of the economy. of the 9th of December and focused ists from different scientific fields The workshop »Christian Archae- this year on Sudan archaeology. The came together to discuss the exten- ology in Egypt: Recent Achieve- ceremonial lecture was given by sive and diverse procedures, and to ments, New Strands«, which took Prof. Dr. Angelika Lohwasser on current present initial results and exchange place at the beginning of April in investigations undertaken in the related ideas. Amongst other things, 2015, aimed at combining present surrounding area of Gebel Barkal. an in-depth investigation of further research and methodical questions

38 Cairo related to archaeology, architec- extraordinary intellectual and cul- to deal with topics that are related tural studies, wall paintings, epig- tural productivity as well as by pro- to archaeology and papyrology in raphy and material culture in Late found political and social develop- order to enable an interdisciplinary Antique Egypt, and to form a plat- ments. Spanning the years between approach. The training was organ- form for the discussion between the the end of the Amarna period and ized by Prof. Dr. Cornelia Römer (Ain associated scholars. Furthermore, the wHm-mswt-era, the Ramesside Shams University/DAAD Cairo). the workshop was also held to ad- period was framed by times of cri- dress the academic discourse on ses, which served as the catalyst for Lectures national heritage and the role of the a wide range of developments and Coptic Church, which have both be- changes for example the religious 27.01. Christian Eckmann: The Gold- come important issues in post-revo- revolution of Akhenaten which her- Sheet Appliqués from the lutionary Egypt. In the scope of the alded the start of an intellectual Tomb of Tutankhamen – workshop, the project undertaken turning point. The intentional res- Preliminary Results of Con- by the DAI Cairo in cooperation with toration of politics implemented by servation, Technological the Excellence Cluster TOPOI (Ber- subsequent rulers was an attempt Investigation and Natural lin), Research Group B4 in Deir Anba to overcome the negative conse- Scientific Analyses Hadra (the so-called »Monastery of quences of the Amarna dogma. The 04.02. Nicole Alexanian: The Work- St. Simeon«) near to Aswan, was set resulting politics paved the way for men's Barracks South of the into a wider scientific context. a well-functioning state. Economic Red Pyramid at Dahshur wealth characterized the following 04.03. Salima Ikram/André Veldmeijer: * * * period, during which the adminis- From Tutankhamun to Tano: trative apparatus become more Chariot Leather in the New With the »Ramesside Project«, complex and cultural productivity Kingdom which was initiated by Jan Assmann was stimulated. Gradual demise be- 31.03. Gawdat Gabra: How to »Re- in 1978, the Institute of Egyptology gan at the end of the New Kingdom. vive« the Project »Catalogue in Heidelberg upholds a year-long The socio-economical crisis and po- Général du Musée Copte«? tradition of research into the 19th litical unrest under the last Rames- and 20th Dynasties. This tradition inside kings led to the disintegration spired Prof. Dr. Jan Assmann, Dr. Sabine and ultimately to the total collapse TELL!-Lectures Kubisch and Dr. Ute Rummel to organ- of the central state. ize an international conference at 7.10. Fatma Farag Abd el-Hay (Ain the beginning of June 2015 in Hei- * * * Shams University): Border- delberg (»The Ramesside Period in Control Work from Elephan- Egypt: Studies into Cultural and His- A seminar for students of papy- tine during the Old Kingdom torical Processes of the 19th and 20th rology at the Ain Shams and the and Marie-Kristin Schröder Dynasties«) on this important his- Cairo Universities was held on the (DAI Kairo): The Nubian C- torical time period. This workshop premises of the DAI to replace the Group at Hierakonpolis. The aimed to elucidate the full extent Field School which was planned Pottery of Cemetery HK27C of the topic and to outline the cur- for September 2015 but had to be during the Middle Kingdom. rent state of research by means of cancelled due to security issues. The describing, combining and discuss- students received specialist training ing the characteristics and prob- to produce archaeological drawings Participants of the Project Days lems of this era: The 19th and 20th and plans, they learnt to reassemble Dynasties were characterized by an a broken pot and date it, and how 2015 at the DAI Cairo

2015 39 Mitteilungen des Deutschen chitecture, decoration and inscrip- Archäologischen Instituts tions. The result not only constitutes Abt. Kairo, Bd. 69 (2013) the very first complete documentation of the tomb but also provides For more than 80 years now, the a fundamentally new interpretation annually published »Mitteilungen« of the structure, which is among the of the Cairo department have pro- most important architectural re- vided an international platform mains from the turn of the eras. for contributions on archaeological investigations as well as on the 117 pages, 24 tables, 3 fold-out cultural and social history of Egypt. plans, ISBN 978-3-447-10239-1, Har- The topics span a time frame rang- rassowitz Publishing House, Wies- ing between the predynastic and baden 2014, 89.00 € Pharaonic ages to the Christian and Islamic eras. Andreas Dorn, 246 pages, 174 figures, ISBN 978- Elephantine XXXI. Kisten 3-11-044010-2, Walter de Gruyter und Schreine im Festzug, Publishing House, Berlin/Boston AV 117 2015, 84.00 € In the south-eastern part of Elephantine Island, the remains of a Katja Lembke et al., large state building were discovered Ammoniaca II. Das Grab that was built at the beginning of the des Siamun in der Oase 6th Dynasty. Over the last 40 years, Siwa, AV 115 the German Archaeological Institute Cairo has carried out various excava- During the reign of the Ptole- tions inside and outside this build- mies, who ruled Egypt after Alexan- ing which is known as House 2. Dur- der the Great, Gebel el-Mota which ing excavations in the north-west rises high above the oasis became corner of House 2, boxes, shrines, a central burial ground for the elite. unhewn blocks for statues, cylinders The tomb of a man named Siamun and offering tables made of calcite counts as one of the most impor- alabaster, fragments of sealings and tant private tombs of the oasis and various other objects were found. All is pivotal to late Egyptian art due of these objects had been disposed to the exceptional quality and re- of in two different phases of deposi- alism of the decoration. The book tion. On the basis of the location of presents the results of a DFG-project the portable shrines and thanks to that has been conducted over a pe- representations of similar shrines in riod of several years. Drawings of tombs of the Old Kingdom, Andreas the wall decorations made on-site Dorn was able to prove that they in a 1:1-scale by Michael Sohn, which had been repeatedly used in the were then subsequently scanned frame of festival processions. This and computer-edited, form the ba- was also confirmed by the fact that sis of the monograph together with the objects had been restored in an- the photographic documentation cient times. These processions were undertaken by Mohammed al-Roumi. carried out in honour of deceased This basis was used by an interdis- non-royal individuals during festi- ciplinary team to analyse the ar- vals that took place in the necropo-

40 Cairo lis. The same usage could also be field of architectural studies, the se- inferred for the wooden boxes with quence of the tomb’s building phas- openwork sides and removable lids. es and phases of later use are de- These were found in the context of termined, the building techniques the lowermost, older deposit from studied and a reconstruction of the the end of the 6th Dynasty. A particu- implementation of these techniques larly unusual box bears the name of is provided. Five design proposals Heqaib: both lateral sides of the box serve to visualize possible variations are decorated with a false door. This of the superstructure. Furthermore, object therefore constitutes a mo- an interpretation of the labyrinthine bile, extra-sepulchral false door, the ground plan structure is presented existence of which is possibly due to for the very first time. The archi- local factors. The numerous sealing tectural analysis of the royal tomb fragments span a time frame from is then followed by a general typo- the end of the Old Kingdom to the logical study of the architecture of end of the First Intermediate Period. tomb complexes that date between Double sealings attest to the co- one of the four royal tombs of the 2nd the 1st and 3rd Dynasties. The lines existence of button seals and scar- Dynasty known to date. The tomb is of development are shown on vari- aboids/scarabs, which confirms the situated in the Saqqara necropolis ous hierarchical levels and provide a smooth transition in the usage of ca. 25 km south-west of Cairo and basis with which previously undated these two diverse object types. Erico was conceived as an underground tombs can be chronologically speci- Peintner's report on the extensive rock-cut tomb that was hewn as a fied. In addition, various stages of restoration measures, which were series of galleries into the limestone development can be ascertained undertaken on the extremely fragile massif. The underground complex with regards to the tomb’s security wooden objects in order to preserve covers an area of ca. 77.00 x 50.50 m systems, and new statements can them for future presentation, also and is divided into 192 rooms that be made concerning cult practices contains observations on working run through the bedrock like a laby- and notions of the afterlife based on techniques and varying workshops. rinth. Originally, the tomb complex the architectural layout and archae- The evaluation and interpretation of was probably marked on the surface ological features of the tomb. the feature and the finds is rounded by a tumulus; however no traces of off by an extensive catalogue and such a superstructure are preserved. 296 pages, 74 figures, 44 plates, indices. The main focus of the research is an ISBN: 978-3-447-06999-1, Harras- analysis of the tomb’s architecture. sowitz Publishing House, Wies- 268 pages, 439 figures, 16 plates, By applying methods used in the baden 2014, 247.00 € ISBN: 978-3-447-10481-4, Harras- sowitz Publishing House, Wies- baden 2015, 98.00 € Parts of the boxes belonging to Sobekhotep from House 2 in Elephantine (from A. Dorn, Elephantine XXXI. Kisten und Schreine im Festzug, AV 117) Claudia M. Lacher- Raschdorff, Das Grab des Königs Ninetjer in Saqqara. Architektonische Entwicklung frühzeitlicher Grabanlagen in Ägypten, AV 125

This publication presents the results of the archaeological and architectural study of the tomb complex of King Ninetjer (ca. 2780 BC),

2015 41

Sunrise in the Theban necropolis: The start of a working day in the double tomb complex K93.11 and K93.12 (photo S. Michels) Elephantine: The Infrastructure of a Long-Term Project

44 Cairo The excavation house of the DAI Cairo on Elephantine Island (photo P. Windszus)

Over the past 45 years, the German Ar- chaeological Institute has carried out excavations on the Island of Elephantine in collaboration with the Swiss Institute for Egyptian Architectural History and Archae- ology in Cairo. During these excavations, an enormous amount of finds made of pottery, clay, bone, stone and organic materials have been unearthed, studied and then published in over 30 scientific publications together with the architectural features documented on the island. A long-term project of this kind is only possible with a fully-functioning infrastructure which not only includes an excavation house but also the secure and organized storage of finds as well as the provision of work spaces for the study and conservation of these finds.

THE 45 YEAR-OLD EXCAVATION HOUSE ON ELEPHANTINE

An essential requirement of the work conducted by the German Archaeological Institute in the region of the First Nile Cataract is the excavation house situated on the island of Elephantine. During the course of excavation campaigns that can last for several months, the house serves as the accommodation and working space for a team of up to 17 members, and as a storage space for the necessary equipment. Until recently, finds from the excavations were also cleaned, drawn and stored here. In addition, the excavation house is also a place of scientific exchange as lectures and scientific meetings take place on the premises.

2015 45  

 The transfer of find n 1970, the exca- for storage, still remained to be carried out. Al- boxes from Elephan- vation house was most all finds that had been discovered since tine to the mainland constructed in the the 1970s were stored here and studied. Fur- is only possible by Istyle of Nubian domes- ther storage spaces were created during the motorboat (photo tic architecture accord- 1990s on the excavation site in rooms under- J. Sigl) ing to plans drawn up neath the reconstructed Satet-Temple of the by the architect and 18th Dynasty as well as in rooms below the ex-  Ahmed el-Amir, a long-term director of cavation’s museum. team member from the Swiss Institute for Qift, noting the stor- Egyptian Architectural owever the unsettled situation that age place of the indi- History and Archaeol- has prevailed in Egypt since 2011 re- vidual boxes (photo ogy, Horst Jaritz. When quired an alternative solution to the M.-K. Schröder) designing the house, he Hpermanent storage of finds in the excava- greatly benefitted from tion house. Due to the fact that a comparable his experiences gained during the campaigns situation existed for all archaeological sites to save Nubian monuments in the 1960s. The throughout the Aswan region where excava- walls were built exclusively using air-dried tions take place, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiq- mud bricks. Vaults and domed roofs covering uities had a central storage facility built on the the various spatial units provide ideal condi- eastern bank of the city for the secure storage tions for the local climate: the heat is distrib- of the finds from the entire region. In addition, uted into the house’s interior only via windows the DAI extended the storage space in the area and doors, and the high ceilings of the rooms of the excavation’s museum by adding another dissipate the warm air of the internal spaces large wing composed of storerooms. away from the spaces being used. In the summer of 2013 and after being used for more than 40 years, the living spaces of the Construction and concept of the excavation house underwent radical renova- excavation's storerooms on Elephantine tion and modernization. These measures were supervised by Martin Sählhof, an architectur- Before the new storage rooms could be con- al historian, and financed with special funds structed in the area of the museum, it was nec- granted by the Federal Government. essary to carry out extensive excavations. This work was undertaken between 2009 and 2013 and supervised by Peter Kopp who excavated THE LOGISTICS OF A LARGE-SCALE down to the level of the granite bedrock. In the EXCAVATION summer of 2013 and after the archaeological investigations had been completed, the new Whereas renovation of the living spaces has wing of storage spaces was built beneath the already been completed, the renewal of the floor level of the museum by the architectN ich- working spaces, which were used until 2013 olas Warner. With a total surface area of 210 m2

46 Cairo this wing provides enough space to store 3,000 therefore completely cleared and can now be find boxes. Thus, previous storage capacities used to store the entire organic material, i.e. have been doubled. After the construction wood, animal bones and soil samples as well work had been completed and the storage as the small finds and pottery of ongoing cam- rooms had been furnished, all finds from the paigns. These find groups are spatially sepa- excavation house were then transferred there. rated amongst the three rooms. The largest At the same time, the find boxes were newly in- of the three rooms was also equipped with 12 ventoried and their number system standard- working spaces in order to record and study ized. As all finds from ongoing excavations will the finds. The same process is currently being be recorded in the excavation’s storage unit, carried out for the holdings of the two younger the existing storage spaces had to be reorgan- storage rooms which mainly contain ceramic ized in order to set up a corresponding working objects. space. The establishment of a new central storage unit in Aswan decidedly relieved the strain on Inventory of finds the storage spaces located on the island: finds can be stored there on a more permanent ba- The restructuring of the museum’s storage sis whereas the rooms underneath the excava- spaces undertaken since 2013 has once again tion’s museum can now be used purely as a shown the excavators the enormous amount of working and temporary storage space for new- finds which have been unearthed on Elephan- ly-excavated finds. As a result of the restructur- tine over the past 45 years: The archaeological ing, the Elephantine holdings could be system- material found to date has been stored in ca. atically organized and stored to save space in 4,500 wooden boxes as well as 1,000 large stur- a relatively short amount of time. In two major dy sacks, which are normally used for flour. operations during 2014 and 2015, 645 plastic and specially-made metal boxes were packed he transferral of the finds made it es- with archaeological material that was origi- sential to newly sort and restructure nally held in 1,000 wooden boxes, and then this mass of objects. In order to reduce transferred to the central storage unit. The suc- Tthe quantity of boxes containing pottery, re- cessful transfer of these find boxes is mainly lated ceramic assemblages were systemati- due to the achievements of the skilled excava- cally collected on the basis of an inventory list tion team members from Qift. After this rear- and packed together. The find bags were re- rangement, three of the eight storage rooms placed and equipped with the original as well of the central storage unit are now full with as a new plastic label in a zipper bag with the the material from Elephantine. One of these aim of preserving the find number on a long- three rooms is however reserved for finds that term basis. The bags were ordered accord- have been registered by the local Antiqui- ing to assemblage and tucked into the sacks, ties Services. The second room contains the which in turn were numbered consecutively manifold small finds excavated over the last and recorded in an inventory list. In this way, 45 years, which range from clay objects, seals the pottery was packed into over 800 sacks by and ostraca to large metal boxes with wooden autumn 2015. The remaining boxes were suc- shrines, and were packed in no less than 398 cessively documented in a list that records boxes. In the third room, 200 boxes are stored the number of the individual box and their re- that contain intact ceramic vessels and serve spective contents such as pottery, botanical as a display collection of pottery from the early remains, animal bones and small finds with Dynastic period to the Roman era. the corresponding find numbers and the storage location. This record serves as a basis for total of three rooms underneath the the collation of a second inventory list in which excavation’s museum, which were pre- the archaeological material and particularly Aviously used as storage spaces, were the pottery is systematically noted according 2015 47 to the time period of the indi- situated near to the landing vidual excavation campaign stage of the boats. and the area in which the excavation took place. This he museum building inventory can be used to esti- was opened around mate the actual quantities of 1906 as an adminis- the finds, to re-assemble and Ttrative building of the Min- merge existing ceramic find istry for Public Work. At the units, and also to discover time when the First Aswan gaps in the data. Dam was under construction, In addition to the small finds the state secretary, Arthur L. made of various materials, Webb, held office here. The excavations on Elephan- double-winged building was tine mainly yield enormous built in the style of an English amounts of pottery. As is the villa with ashlar walls made case with all settlement exca- of granite and a wooden ve- vations, the study of this find randa. A roof pavilion with a category plays a central role pagoda-like, hipped roof con-  on Elephantine. However, the struction is still a landmark of long-term storage of it repre- Elephantine Island that can  sents one of the largest infra- be seen from miles around. structural challenges of the The building is one of the last project. In accordance with examples of colonial archi- Egyptian law, a remedy for tecture in the Aswan region this problem must be found and is therefore a listed build- on the archaeological site it- ing. self. As there are no ancient The museum was installed underground structures on for the very first time around the settlement mound of Ele- 1914 and structurally extend- phantine which can be reused ed in 1956. It houses objects as a deposit for pottery that found during excavation on has been fully documented Elephantine as well as ob- and studied, a plan was con- jects from the region of the ceived many years ago to gain First Cataract before 1969. more space by rebuilding the Under the direction of Wer- ancient city wall. This recon- ner Kaiser, a second museum structed wall is also intended building was constructed by as additional protection for the architect Achim Krekeler in the excavation site and as a 1991 to 1992 to display finds  The transportation visual aid to demonstrate the of ongoing excavations of the of sacks filled with original extent of the city. Elephantine project. Both pottery whereby in- museum buildings have been tact and almost intact closed for several years due vessels are stored RENOVATION AND to security reasons. elsewhere NEW CONCEPTION OF The pending renovation aims THE MUSEUMS to restore this building to its  Space-saving stor- original state. In the scope of age of hundreds of The starting point of every the site management plan of thousands of pottery visit to Elephantine Island is the Elephantine excavation sherds (photos M.-K. the archaeological museum project, both of the island’s Schröder)

48 Cairo museums will be repaired and modernized, transferred from one di- Team members and finally reopened to the public. The initial rector to the next without from Qift repack the phase of the project began in 2013 with the sta- losses, and provide the individual pottery bilization of the building’s foundations and the person responsible with assemblages (photo construction of the aforementioned storage an insight into whether M.-K- Schröder) units. During the second phase of the project, an excavation site has the older building of the museum will be resto- been investigated to its red according to specifications for listed buil- full extent or whether and how further work dings. should be carried out. In the course of the renovation of the museum buildings on Elephantine, a new exhibition concept will also be developed. This concept AUTHORS will focus on the cultural and historical features Felix Arnold is an architect and archa- that are characteristic of the First Cataract regi- eologist. He has worked as a scientific on as well as on the aims and methods of a mo- consultant at the DAI since 2005 and dern settlement excavation. In order to supple- specifically for the Cairo department ment the excavation’s museum holdings, finds since 2011. He is currently the director will be selected from the now systematically of projects in Elephantine, Dahshur recorded material of the excavation. and Cordoba.

Marie-Kristin Schröder is an Egyp- he above outlined dimensions of the tologist and archaeologist and has construction work, the restructuring of worked on excavations in Germany, the archaeological material, and the re- Jordan and Egypt since 2005. She has Tcording of inventories demonstrate the extent been a team member of the Elephan- of the work which is required when dealing tine project since 2010. with archaeological finds. However, it is precisely this kind of work that forms the basis for thorough research work: Systematically com- Johanna Sigl is an Egyptologist and piled and maintained inventories are an es- an archaeozoologist. Since 2003, she sential requirement to comprehensively view has worked at various excavations si- archaeological sites that have been excavated tes in Egypt, Germany and Crete. She over many years, and to be able to draw con- completed her PhD project in 2015 clusions on the processes that took place in and has worked as a scientific consul- the city of Elephantine during Pharaonic times. tant at the DAI Cairo since then. These measures also allow the project to be Cover: The funerary mask of Tutankhamun (photo Ch. Eckmann)