Summary
With the upcoming 100-year jubilee since Howard Carter’s opening of Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in Valley of the Kings in 1922, the Silsila Team would like to celebrate the golden boy-king and his family, by exploring for the first time, a workers’ village and quarry, dedicated to and marked with his name. The results of the survey and excavation work are to be presented and published in a monograph in 2022, coinciding with the Tutankhamun Jubilee celebrations, in Egypt and the world. The study includes an important and critical Middle Kingdom (c 2040-1782 BCE) fortress overlooking the Nile and guarding the border to Nubia. Funding for the season is already mainly at hand, with the exception of 10,000 Euro that is needed to cover the rental costs of our dig house and some basic archaeological equipement: the goal for this crowdfunding campaign is to raise funds to cover these costs. Any amount over the goal will go directly to the project (wages to our workers, daily runnings).
Howard-Carter-1 vintage news.
Funding goal: 120,000 SEK (= 12,000 EURO/USD)(including fees)
1 $; 1 €; 0.8 £ = 10 SEK (therabout)
Expedition periods:
Step 1: Winter 2019
Step 2: Spring 2020
What we would like to do
The archaeology at Gebel el-Silsila is astonishing. The team has surveyed and excavated various monuments and quarries dating to Pharaoh Amenhotep III (c. 1386-1353 BCE) and his son, Amenhotep IV (c. 1353–1336 BCE), later known as Akhenaten. Attention has now turned to Tutankhamun (grandson)(c.1336-1327 BCE) and site institutions used during his reign, namely a quarry and the workers’ village.
What can the workers village tell us about ancient quarrying, workers’ habitation and social interaction? What can it reveal about the politico-religious development during the Post-Amarna period? What was the individuals’ role(s) within the working community – who were they? How are they related with the population of ancient Kheny? What monuments were they extracting stone to build? What can the preserved architecture and artefacts teach us about their material status and religious affiliation – their ideology?
The workers’ village – what we know so far
The workers’ village is situated on the West Bank, just north of the modern tarmac road that connects the Nile valley with the Western Desert (Sahara). It sits upon a hill along the first plateau, overlooking the Nile to the east and with the quarries and associated spoil heaps to its south. A well-preserved ancient road meanders through the deserted landscape to its western side, connecting the village with an ancient quay to its northeast. Nearby, in a valley, once laid a small temple, previously thought to belong to Pharaoh Horemheb, but more likely contemporaneous with the village. The temple was destroyed in the 1980’s when modern quarrymen used explosives to extract stone nearby. The team has made a few surface finds, including talatat-blocks, and a ceramic ostracon containing an architectural drawing in a style comparable with the Amarna houses.
Even older history?
The ancient Egyptian name of Gebel el-Silsila was Kheny or Khenu, which is generally translated as the “Rowing Place”, but could equally signify the “Mouth of the River”. Its earliest attestation is a reference from a 4th Dynasty mastaba in Dashur, belonging to prince Iynefer, son of Sneferu. Shortly thereafter occurs the earliest hieroglyphic inscription at Gebel el-Silsila itself: a cartouche of Pepi I, located along the main cenotaph pathway on the west bank. It is plausible that the site was taken under state control as a quarry already during this time, considering other, contemporaneous, quarry expeditions to Nubia. The strategic location of Gebel el-Silsila, with a clear line of sight in all directions, may also have inspired the army to set up a camp during the military campaigns into Nubia.
Project goals:
The objectives for the seasons of 2019/2020 are to:
4) Analysis and theoretical research (off site), resulting in a monograph
Already, the initial survey has resulted in groundbreaking information, changing (again) the general perception of the workers’ status and their activity on site. Further studies will allow deeper socio-anthropological understanding of ancient Egyptian workers and their families at large, as well as the day-to-day activities on site. The excavations of the settlement and the study of its potential reuse and upgrading of an older military fortress are anticipated to reveal important clues to the socio-economic and administrative climate in Upper Egypt, in which Gebel el-Silsila was seen as the last barrier to Nubia and had to be protected for the sake of political stability for Egypt’s people. Such need was crucial during the Middle Kingdom, and yet again during the post-Amarna period. Such results will add important facets to the study of Egyptology and ancient history at large, reaching far beyond the local archaeology.
What we will use the money for
If we reach our goal with this Gofundme campaign, we will be able to conduct a thorough survey and set up a selection of smaller excavations within the settlement, to locate its boundaries, and to analyse the artefacts. We will share our discoveries with you through a beautifully illustrated publication written by our team and with stunning imagery produced by our photographers, presenting for the first time the excavations of a workers’ village never before explored. With weekly video updates aimed and limited to our backers, we invite you to join us in this adventure!
If you are interested in learning more about the project and our previous excavations, surveys, and results, check out our blog or at Facebook . Of course we sincerely hope that you will back us and be part of our journey!
Tokens of Appreciation for our benefactors
There are no limits (lower or upper) in how much one can donate – all funds (minus handling fees) will go straight into the project. All supporters will be given special access to weekly updates, and an official thank you on our website (upon your agreement), and backers above 50 SEK/5 Euro will receive a thank you special Gebel el-Silsila postcard.
1000 SEK/100 Euro: Silsila T-shirt, cap or calendar
2500 SEK/250 Euro: full Silsila pack with t-shirt, cap and calendar
5000 SEK/500 Euro: signed copy of the book
10,000 SEK/1000 Euro: private live update with the team
0 Comments