Posted by Dan Jones

As the 2011 excavation season at Khentkawes draws to a close, it is a chance for me to reflect on the past few weeks. The last week on site was very busy as we finished excavating, did extensive mapping to record the exposed archaeology, and organised post excavation photographs. The last few days were particularly hectic as back filling began.

Kasia and I were doing last minute note taking, checking, and measurements as the workmen moved ever closer covering the valley complex in a thick layer of sand. Although this season has been very eventful and time has as always flown by (there is never enough time!), we left the site for the last time with… READ MORE »

Posted by Amelia Fairman

This is the second week into our attempt at examining the Menkaure Valley Temple, last seen with archaeological eyes by George Reisner, one hundred and one years ago.  Excavation goals aside, re-visiting a site for which there are countless photographs, backed up by (geo-rectified) plans should be relatively simple…  Should.

At this point I should state that, as a rule, I don’t judge previous fieldwork by the archaeological standards of today.  There are many different ways of digging and recording/excavation methods have advanced dramatically over the past century.

HOWEVER, I would be lying if I said I hadn’t cursed Reisner’s name repeatedly over the past week for one simple reason: his  lack of backfilling of the… READ MORE »

Posted by Simon Davis

Two weeks down, five to go and we haven’t even started digging yet!

Well actually three weeks down now as we spent the last week under curfew and not able to work.

We are at the end of our second week of work at Standing Wall Island (SWI) and what appeared at first to be a discreet jumble of stone and mudbrick walls is fast transforming itself into an archaeological site (amazing what a bit of site grid can do!). Our aim, to uncover the previous recording work carried out by AERA back in 2004 to try and work out how SWI fits into the rest of the plateau complex that sprawls out to the north.… READ MORE »