The arrival of new members always implies the mandatory submission of visa and passport copies to the inspector and the always gratifying reunion with old friends. So, our well-experienced Miguel was greeted by colleagues and workmen with whom he has worked for the last years, while Rebekah met for the first time the inspector and workmen in the site. No doubt, their contribution to the team work of the next weeks will be very valuable.
Rebekah, who finished her Master in Archaeology from the University of Alcalá, is the 2024 recipient of the UAH-MKTP fellowship, which allows a UAH student to participate in the expedition to Egypt every year. Today, she worked on the organization of the findings from Djari’s tomb, discussed some modifications to be inserted into the findings list, and prepared some special objects that Patricia had to photograph. As this was her first contact with the Theban necropolis and Djari’s monument, Antonio offered her a short introduction before the start.
Regarding Miguel, we hope he can document the conditions of Djari’s façade and its pillars as part of the general plan of restoration and conservation of the project. Djari’s tomb preserves one of the earliest wall painting programs in the Theban necropolis, and safeguarding this artistic treasure is a priority for the project. With the exceptional support of Mehen Foundation (The Netherlands), this year we hope to document and restore part of this highly valuable historical, artistic, and archaeological heritage, contributing to a better understanding of the architecture of the late First Intermediate Period.
Another preliminary task was the reorganization of our storeroom, located inside the subsidiary tomb TT 366A. Thus, five of our workmen transferred bags and boxes from the storage therein to Djari’s main corridor, where we will be sorting them for the next days. Here, Rebekah –and Aran, arriving this evening– will examine the lists and objects in order to increase the accuracy of our listings, tables, and storage arrangements.
According to our plan, today we have almost finished the preliminary tasks, and in the coming days we will begin the intensive conservation work, study of the objects, and restoration of Djari’s tomb.
