THANK YOU!

Dear all,

Prior to this, our Season 12, we put in process a massive Kickstarter campaign targeting work in the Temple of Sobek on the East Bank of Silsila. We were overwhelmed as we reached our goal and thereby secured the continuation of work at this particular site. As part of this campaign, our backers were able to choose between various rewards, of which one was an official thank you here on our blog. After receiving our backers’ approval, the time has now come for us to publically thank each one of you who made this work possible! Please find the list of backers, arranged alphabetically, below (including some whom wished to remain anonymous).

Image of the western structure from last season

So, what are the results thus far? Well, one of the main achievements is that we have physically connected the Main Temple with the Western Structure by removing, sifting, and analysing the massive mound of silt, soil and archaeological remains known to the team as “Temple Mound”. We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated Egyptian workers for being patient, understanding and willing to continue the daily battle against this mound, including its modern hard spoil left from the building of the adjacent modern canal. Without our workers aid, we would not have been able to reach such great results in one season!

connecting the structures, here showing a part of the mound still in situ

Workers taking on the Mound during the previous season. Photo by Anders Andersson

Connecting the structures - in progress. Photo by Anders Andersson

Excavations of the western structure have so far focused on its central part, in which a circular rock-cut structure was revealed, and thus far reaches some 5-6 m below the ground. Work is still ongoing, and has now changed from sand and soil archaeology to excavations of wet mud as a pump is required to remove the ground water from therein.

View of the western structure, including its circular centre

What may there be?

3D model of work progress. Photogrammetry by John Ward

Connecting the two structures and excavating the circular structure has resulted in a large amount of fragments from the once magnificent Temple of Sobek. With over 500 sandstone fragments, nearly 200 limestone details, various small finds (including evidence that links Silsila with Roman Gaul!), and thousands of ceramic sherds, we consider the work in the temple a great success. However, we are not finished yet! Work will continue until the end of our season, after which we hope to begin putting together a beautiful book on Sobek as promised our backers of the campaign.

Limestone detail revealing a part of Men-Kheper-Re, i.e. Thutmosis III

Limestone detail of the little rower man, a glyph that forms the first sign in the ancient name of Silsila: "Kheny"!

If YOU would like to sponsor the project, helping us reveal more information about the Temple of Sobek – or the newly discovered subterranean shaft tomb, aid us with funds to employ more workers, buy a new pump or other important equipment, please support us by donating on our Friends of Silsila webpage!

Finally, with this short update, we would like to thank you all for your support and encouragement, and to wish you all the best for a Happy, Prosperous, Healthy and Adventurous New Year 2019!

___________________________________________________________________________

THANK YOU for your support in “Finding Sobek”

Elisabeth Ahlsen

Jane Akshar

Jens Allwood

Anders Andersson

Tove Andersson

Pierre Arnold III

Paul Bagheri-Poubanne

Annelise Baer

Mary Banks

Elaine Barke

Lida Barmala

Shannon Beltz

Shelby Beltz

Karin Berggren

Nils & Anna Carin Billing
Erin Bisson

Susanna Blåndman

Ann Brun

John Burn

Jeff Burzacott

Yvonne Buskens-Frenken

Etta Chatterjee

Mats Cullhed

Lynn Couture

Annica Dahlström

Katie Davenport-Mackey

Sharon Davidson

Darryl Dobson

Jennifer Dyer

Rudi Endresen

Françoise Entelis

Raphael Epand

Nils Essle

Isabella Faroppa

Raquel Agrás Flores

Melanie Friederichs

Yishay Gabrieli

Linda Garza Hansen

Bronwyn and Peter Harrison
Carole Gillis

Richard Grant

Sven Grimm

Tiffany Hall

Diane Hanger

Beverley Haystead

Debra Hayward

Andy Hicks

Brenda Hill

Kristoffer Holmén

Sofia Häggman

Inger Jakobsson

Tony Jibbefors

Dr. Kim A Jobst DM FRCP MFHom

Sasha K (Sobekemiti)

Sölve Kajanus

Maria Karlman Noleryd

Allan King

Josa Kärre

Matthew King

Lena Kristensson

Niklas Kärrman

Anna Lagaron

Lars Larsson

Stephen Lazenby

Susan Lea

Marie Lebeau
Petra Lether

Tom Lesniewski

Jeszika Le Vye

Emma Libonati

Ulrika Lindblom-Nilsson

Stephanie Lindeburg

Anna Lindqvist

Ted Loukes

Andrea Lundberg Blank

Dan Madsen

Elisabeth Maubert

Beatrice Mackenzie

Flore Mayvial

Chandler McGowan

Denise McGrath

MEHEN

Françoise Meyer

James Miller

Kyra van der Moezel

Glyn Morris

Krista Moyls

Charlie Nilsson

Fredrik Nilsson

Gunhild Nilsson

Johan Nilsson

Lill Nilsson

Maria Nilsson

Svante Nilsson

Miss Leanne Northrop

Hans Nyman

Ingemar Nyman

Jennifer OConnell

Helen Ollett-Nash

Eva Oredsson

Kim Nelson & Jackson Ovadia
Vincenzo Pannone
Patrick Patzer

Leena Pekkalainen

Jenny Persson

Julie Phillips

Alban-Brice Pimpaud

Carolyn Prior

Berit Prohaszka

Johanna Rex

Sue Retzer

Britnee Ricks

Carlo Rindi Nuzzolo

Abby and Bryn Roberts

Peter Robinson

Richard Rossi

Vincenzo Salvatore Pannone

Benita Schreuder

Sebastian

Astrid Segmar

Brian & Pam Silverian

Robert Skinner

Amanda Slack

Mrs Julie Smith

Martin Smith

Michele Stopera Freyhauf

Rocci Stucci

Pia Svanbom

Sofia Svensson

Kevin Swanson

Robert and Olivia Temple

Karen Thomas

Jen Thum

Debbie Tily

Ian Tompkins

Dr. CMCl Toporow

Paula Tutty

Margareta Törngren

Vanellus Trust

Juliane Unger

Julie Villaeys

John Ward

Charlotte Weaver

Judith Weingarten

Tobias Werner

Gertie Werner-Bäumer

James Whitfield

George Wood

Robin Young

Renée Zetterlund

Lihi Zilverberg

If you are a backer and connot find your name on the above list, please send us a quick email and we will update the page! 

Intact child burials reveal new clues into family life at Gebel el-Silsila

With our 10th successful season completed, there are so many things we would love to share with you. For this, there will be a series of updates within the coming months, ranging from field reports to 3D imagery, etc. For today´s update, we would like to highlight the most recent news as released by the Ministry of Antiquities this month, here in an extended (popular scientific) report from the field. 

However, firstly, and on behalf of the entire Silsila Team, we would like to thank our Egyptian colleague, Mr Ashraf Mohamed, who after having dedicated twelve years as an inspector at Gebel el-Silsila, has left us for el-Kab. We wish him all the luck and success in his new job! Thank you for the many wonderful memories, laughter and shared excitement on site, as well as for your true love for Gebel el-Silsila! Thank you Ashraf!

Ashraf Mohemd, Inspector at Gebel el-Silsila for 12 years!

We would also like to congratulate our dear colleagues: 

Mr. Nasr Salama, previous General Director of Aswan, to his retirement 

Mr. Abdel Moniem, to his new position as General Director of Aswan

and

Mr. Ahmed Sayed, to his new position as Director of Kom Ombo

Funerary landscape at Gebel el-Silsila

During their ongoing excavations, the Swedish-Egyptian archaeological mission (Lund University), headed by Dr. Maria Nilsson and John Ward in cooperation with the inspectorate of Kom Ombo and Aswan directed by Mr. Abdel Menum (Aswan) and Mr. Ahmed Sayed (Kom Ombo), discovered several intact child burials as well as crypts and chambers for adults in the 18th Dynasty Necropolis at Gebel el-Silsila in the Aswan region.

The best-preserved child burials include:

1)         An eroded wooden sarcophagus/coffin, partially sealed with mud, containing inhumation of a child (ST63), c. 6-9 years, oriented with head in the east, facing north. Poorly preserved coffin, heavily eroded by annual flooding, salt, and destroyed by beetles.  The grave contained several burial goods, including 10 ceramic items (intact beer jars, wine vessels, plates, and bowls), bronze bracelets, a bronze razor, four scarabs attached to the child’s left wrist, and a nefer-amulet found in the chest-area (moved from its original location by beetles).

One of many beautiful ceramic vessels found in ST63

2)         A rock cut crypt (ST59) containing young child (2-3 years), wrapped in linen and surrounded by organic material (possibly wooden coffin) destroyed by termites, covered with poorly preserved, crumbled sandstone lid, once sealed with plaster. Head in the south, facing west. No associated burial goods.

  

3)         Inhumation of a child (ST64), c. 5-8 years, oriented with head in the east, unknown facial direction due to later disturbance of the head, possibly caused when burying the child of ST63. Body wrapped in linen and laid on reed matting. Burial goods included three scarabs, one of which contained the royal name of Thutmosis II (Aa-Kheper-n-Ra), and a single ceramic vessel not in its original location.

4)         Inhumation of child (ST69), c-5-8 years, oriented with head to the north, facing east. Buried without any obvious care in quarried area, and covered with quarry spoil. No immediate relation with surrounding tombs. Some indications of sickness. Further studies required.

The child burials ST63-64 are the first of their kind found at Gebel el Silsila, in the fact that both were preserved with complete funerary goods. It allows an insight into both material culture as well as funerary customs and religious beliefs, but even more so provides the team with socio-political information and the social status of those entombed.

One of the three scarabs found around the left wrist of the child in ST64

Bronze bracelets found around the left wrist of the child in ST63

Bronze razor found above the head of child in ST63

The child burials also provide with a possibility to study completely preserved inhumations, giving pathological information, i.e. their general health and medical situation, but they are also a strong indication of the existence and activity of complete families on site, supporting the team’s previous hypothesis of a operative society on site in contrast with only quarry activities. The finds bring the team one step closer to finding the village of Kheny (ancient name of Gebel el Silsila) or what possibly was a more local village co-existing with the larger township of Kheny.

Funerary landscape at Gebel el-Silsila

Including the intact child burials, the team has discovered 11 new crypts and several ‘new’ burial chambers, mainly looted during or since antiquity. The archaeological material includes bones, ceramic vessels, jewellery, textile, ‘plaster’, and wood.

The finds follow a line of recent discoveries made by the team, all which date to the Thutmosid period, including 1) an usurped relief scene in the Speos of Horemheb, showing a large ship carrying an obelisk, comparable with the scene of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari; 2) six statues and relief scenes within shrines 30-31 from the reigns of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III; and 3) decoration and architectural details in limestone from the initial building activity of the Temple of Sobek on the East Bank. Together with the most recent discoveries in the Necropolis, all these finds reveal the importance of Gebel el-Silsila during the Thutmosid period, blooming with socio-political and religious activity.

Funding for this fieldwork has been provided by a grant from the National Geographic Society (grant # HJ-103R-17), Gerda Henkel Stiftung, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, Mehen and TVAES, along with the kind and generous support of private donors. The team would like to express their deepest gratitude to all support received, without which none of this work could have been conducted.

Part of the 2017 Silsila Team, photo by Bob Mittelstaedt

Background to the discovery

In 2015 the Gebel el Silsila Project reported on the discovery of a series of tombs located in the north of Gebel el-Silsila East, in the area immediately to the north of the famous stele of Amenhotep IV and stretching westwards to the Nile. While the tombs had been described by a few previous visitors to the site, no comprehensive survey, neither any proper archaeological work had been conducted until 2015.

During the first two seasons of excavating the necropolis, 58 tombs were identified, of which almost twenty were excavated. To this day, 69 tombs have been identified, and a total of almost 30 have been excavated. 21 of the 69 tombs are crypts.

The tombs contain various architectural markers, including 1-2 rock-cut chambers, external courtyards, and dressed portcullis – slot-cuts into the door jambs by the entry to the tombs, into which a (stone-) slab would have been placed to seal the door after burial. In addition to the chamber burials, there are crypts cut into the rock, and niches possibly used for offering.

The majority of the tombs excavated so far – with the main exception of two infant burials, two older children/young adults discovered and excavated during the previous season (2016/2017) and the four child burials found this season – have been plundered already during antiquity, and then been left neglected and without further disturbance, and since covered by up to 3m of Nile silt, blown in sand, and fallen quarry spoil and debris.

Some of the individual tombs reveal multiple burials within the same chamber or crypt, possibly complete families, and individuals of varying ages and sex. In addition, the newly discovered infant/child burials present another aspect to the cemetery, clearly indicating family life at Gebel el-Silsila.

The archaeological material produced from the newly discovered tombs and burials chronologically correlate with those excavated previously, so far limited to the Thutmosid period (Thutmosis II - Amenhotep II). In addition to the tombs themselves, the excavation has revealed finely dressed sandstone sarcophagi, sculptured and occasionally painted pottery coffins, painted cartonnage, textile and organic wrapping, ceramic vessels and plates, as well as an array of jewellery, amulets and scarabs.

The vast amount of human remains so far recovered from the necropolis indicates the individuals were generally healthy.  At this time, very little evidence of malnutrition and infection has been discovered, although exceptions occur.  Fractures of the long bones and increased muscle attachments amongst the skeletal remains indicate behaviours related to occupational hazards and an extremely labour-intensive environment. Furthermore, many of the injuries appear to be in an advanced stage of healing, suggesting effective medical care.  

Some links (to be updated):

Luxor Times, written by Mena Melad: http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.se/2017/12/intact-child-burials-reveal-new-clues.html

Live Science report, written by Stephanie Pappas: https://www.livescience.com/61211-child-graves-discovered-in-ancient-egypt.html

BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42364085

Finally, we would like to thank everyone on the 

team, and wish you all Happy Holidays! 

3D Inner sanctuary of the speos

For those of you who enjoy the 3D models, you will be delighted to find yet another two examples uploaded, showing the northern and southern walls of the inner sanctuary of the speos at Gebel el-Silsila.

view of the inner sanctuary and the main gods of the speos. Photo by Maria Nilsson

The long south wall of the sanctuary is decorated in sunken relief, showing almost 40 seated deities uttering wishes of well being for King Horemheb. They have been often described as an Egyptian pantheon. Turned, however, towards the end wall of the temple, they are here depicted as guests to witness a mythological mystery taking place. Smaller vignettes showing priests adoring gods were later added in an empty lower portion of the wall during the Ramesside period. The destructions visible at the left are traces of eradication or hacking done during the end of the Amarna period. They were concealed under a coating of hard 'plaster' when the wall was restored for new inscriptions.

South wall of the inner sanctuary, photo by Maria Nilsson

The northern wall offers an interesting parallel to the southern wall, It shows another 'pantheon', in fact a group of invited divinities, but standing in two registers and sculptured in true relief. The relief includes 23 figures mixing gods and goddesses. If the destructions are rather related to unfortunate modern looting attempts, some traces of ancient erasures related to the Amarna period can still be seen. The Ramesside presence is this time limited to one line of text added to the right in the lower empty space. However, a viewer with keen eyes for painted and very faded graffiti will find several traces of such too.

North wall of the inner sanctuary, photo by Maria Nilsson

Gebel el Silsila Project - Epigraphic Survey
3D Photography, modelling and anotations by Philippe Martinez, lead epigrapher for the project, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités: philippe.martinez@upmc.fr

Digital images created with plexus software by Kevin Cain (plexus-3d.com), kevin@insightdigital.org

3D Ramesside Royal Stelae West Bank

More amazing 3D models from Gebel el-Silsila, now showing the three royal stelae on the west bank.

The main model shows an overview of the three stelea, which are situated along the cenotaph road on the west bank of the Nile. They have been preserved between two quarried surfaces. They were erected, from south to north - or left to right - by Ramses III, Sheshonq I and Ramses IV respectively. They clearly have been the subject of a local cult and below them are to be seen the traces of the Nile flood that reached their foot annually at the beginning of the summer.

There are also individual models of the three stelae:

Ramses III

Sheshonq I

and 

Ramses IV

Gebel el Silsila Project - Epigraphic Survey
Photography, modelling and anotations by Philippe Martinez, lead epigrapher of the project, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités: philippe.martinez@upmc.fr

Digital models created with plexus software by Kevin Cain (plexus-3d.com), kevin@insightdigital.org