Preliminary Report of Fieldwork Season 2003 in the Necropolis of Asyut

 

Mahmoud El-Khadragy - Jochem Kahl

 

From Saturday, 13th September, to Wednesday, 17th September, a joint German-Egyptian archaeological mission surveyed the First Intermediate Period tombs (called tombs III, IV and V) at the necropolis of Asyut.

The mission was directed by Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-khadragy (South Valley University, Faculty of Arts, Sohag) and HD Dr. Jochem Kahl (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster). Accompanying members were Dr. Eva-Maria Engel (Egyptologist, German Archaeological Institute Cairo) and Dr. Sameh Shafiq (General Director of Archaeological Registration of Upper Egypt). The mission was supported by Mr. Emad Bostan Ata, Inspector from Asyut, under the supervision of the Director General of Asyut Mr. Mohamed Abd el-Aziz.

Although the surveyed tombs are of invaluable historical importance concerning the history of the First Intermediate Period, they suffered a lot of damage, especially during the last two centuries. First of all quarrying activities in this area, but also penetrating sunlight and excrements of bats and birds destroyed large parts of them. In addition Coptic people had already used these tombs as dwellings in ancient times and had demolished parts of the walls.

The aim of the survey was to get an impression of the condition of these tombs, as well as to do a photographic documentation and to prepare further work there.

All three tombs had lost their façade and entrance due to the quarrying activities during the Nineteenth century. An epigraphic and/or photographic documentation doesn’t exist up until now. Only hand-copies of inscriptions are published. However, these hand-copies depend too much on those made during the Napoleonic Expedition (1799) and on those made by F.Ll. Griffith (published 1889). Architecture as well as reliefs and paintings are also not documented in an adequate way.

The joint mission spent five days within these tombs and documented their present condition. Photos were made and measurements were taken. In all three tombs fragments of still unpublished paintings and inscriptions were detected. In addition two finds on the surface were registered and brought to the inspectorate at Asyut (two fragments of statues, not belonging to the First Intermediate Period tombs).