Excavations and Sites

Contents: Quesna / Balat / Kharga Oasis 

Excavations in the Quesna Necropolis

 Quesna necropolis excavations held by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Archeological zone of the Central Delta, El Menoufia governorate under the direction of Dr. Sabri Hussanein, revealed many important aspects. Excavations took place as from 1991 to 1997. Quesna necropolis were discovered by pure chance in 1990, when removing the sand from the southern side of the cliff where Quesna quarries lie, parts of a limestone sarcophagus and human bones appeared. They had the shape of a small sand platform 13-m higher than the agricultural land level and covering 300 feddans on the northern side of the excavations.

Survey of the platform revealed few ostracas, remains of sarcophagi barrel shaped, human bones and mud-bricks elements spread on the platform surface. This was an evidence of the importance of the site and the probability of the existence of a necropolis there referred to Ancient Egyptians eras.

There is no scientific reports published about Quesna necropolis despite the many excavations held there during various seasons, six seasons in nine years.

  The first impression given by the evidences found on the site's surface dates them back to the Roman Period when pottery sarcophagi, shaped as barrels or boats or even shoes, were discovered. Poor coffins were kept inside mud-bricks or Agor sarcophagi; individual and collective coffins were also discovered in the sand. Three meters deeper appeared older burials such as coffins in bad conditions affected by the humidity and the neglect in preparing the original body. These mummies, wrapped in linen shrouds and bearing inscriptions, are covered with a polychrome cartonage with golden touches that reveals the face features.

Six meters of approximate depth revealed a granite sarcophagus with inscriptions related to one of Osiris priests. Limestone sarcophagi without inscriptions were also discovered. Some of them contain coffins and the remains of funerary objects and referred probably to the Late Period, may be the 26th Dynasty. Excavations revealed four architectural units close to each other and built in mud-bricks; the third unit does not include coffins, as it was never used as a tomb. Apparently the building was used as a funerary location related to burial in the necropolis.

A large number of amulets, necklaces, ushabties, pottery vessels…etc were unearthed from the necropolis.

In site (c), called the birds' necropolis, located north to the excavated area, linen shrouds in bad conditions were discovered. Inside these shrouds lie bones in different size and kind, birds' eggs inside vessels were also discovered next to the coffins as well as bronze statues representing birds and others representing Horus and Seth in the Osirian shape.

These discoveries encouraged the leading of more excavations, as the importance of the necropolis is obvious.

 

Excavations at Khentika Tomb, Balat

Egyptologists were lately attracted by other parts in Egypt's soil than the Nile Valley. They have been for long exploring the fertile valley of the Nile as most archaeological sites were concentrated, but they actually moved to the deserts and Oases as they used to be inaccessible and not anymore. The Western Desert's Oases are inhabited and represent a good perspective for vigilant archaeologists to dig and excavate in order to add new elements to our brilliant history. L'Institut Franþçais d'Archaéologie Orientale (IFAO) is actually leading important excavations in both Balat in Dakhla Oasis and in Gabal El Zeit near the Red Sea coast. Results are a positive confirmation to a better understanding for the reasons the Ancient Egyptian exploited these areas.

 

Khentika tomb, Balat, Dakhla Oasis

         Located 800-km southwest Cairo, Dakhla oasis is one of the five Oases in the western desert that witnessed civilization since prehistoric eras. Ain Assil Site located 2km northwest Balat was ruled by the Oasis governors who built seven mastabas in the necropolis where lye the governors and members of their family. Officials and servants tombs surround these mastabas. The famous Ahmed Fakhry was the first to discover Khentika mastaba in 1972. Khentika was the oasis governor under Pepi II reign (2292-2203 BC). The French team excavated the tomb as from 1983 to 1993 where was buried Khentika, dead at the age of 25 to 30, his wife and their son Desheru. The fourth mummy is for a young lady dead at the age of 25 to 30. The four bodies were well preserved. 

The mastaba partly built in limestone and partly in mud brick is actually open for visitors who admire the beautiful daily life scenes depicted on the walls. The construction of the tomb required roughly the efforts of 40 workers during 763 days. Important vessels were found in the burial chamber for the need of the deceased during the after life. This ostrich-egg perfume container is probably found in Khenteka's wife tomb. 


 

 

 

 

The desert routes, Kharga Oasis

A survey was practiced in order to establish connections between Kharga oasis and the Nile Valley that revealed an early activity in the area starting from dynastic periods along to late dynastic periods. A newly discovered site located between north Thebes and north Kharga reveals a combination of valley and oasis vessels, this site needs more work to be practiced there in order to come up with important information related to habitation areas and relations between handmade products and Nubian ceramic traditions.

Reported by Naglaa Habib El Zahlawi

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