Today, new members have joined the team. These incorporations have allowed to start several tasks in Henenu and Ipi’s tombs.
Carmen and Iria checked the boxes and their contents as well as the last season inventory. They have started to reorganize the artifacts inventory according to type and material (ceramics, bones, textile, special objects such as shabtis, papyrus, cartonnage, etc.) so that later the various experts coming to conduct research on particular types of objects can easily access the inventory and its items.
Early in the morning Mohamed started directing the excavation of the mid-section in the courtyard of Ipi’s tomb. In this sector, considerable findings such as ceramics, bones, textile, wooden and shabti fragments together with faience beads have appeared. The material provenance is disturbed because of previous archaeological works conducted in this area by Egyptologist Herbert Winlock in the 1920s and 30s. Also in the complex of Ipi, Bea has been organizing and registering the new findings and checking the special finds from the previous season.
As one of the newest members of the restoration team, Reed has examined the sarcophagus of Ipi and has discussed cleaning tasks based on the reports made by Rawda with the head of the project and the inspector of conservation. She has also started to organize the special finds box, focusing on alabaster fragments which may be part of a single figurine because most of them match perfectly.
Meantime, Bettina has started his work in the MKTP by studying the drawings ––previously made by Kei and Hazem– of ceramic elements so that she can continue their previous work and conduct a complete research on this impressive assemblage of pottery. It is not usual to work with such a well-preserved and large sized jar set as the one found in Ipi’s tomb. For this, Bettina identifies several indicators that appear in these ceramic jars that can provide significant information about their production, materials, origins, and contents.
Work is gradually taking shape and we cannot wait to share it with you in the next days.
