Field Diary

A Sherd's-Eye View of Abydos over a Century of Excavation (1899-2020) /  by Wendy Doyon

A curious pottery sherd labeled “UQ” emerged in last year’s excavations, during the 2020 field season at the predynastic brewery site in north Abydos. After identifying the label as Flinders Petrie’s designation for the tomb of King Qa’a — excavated by him in 1899 — the “Petrie sherd” took its place among a number of exciting finds reflecting the “archaeology of archaeology” at Abydos last season. Details in our latest video.

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Bringing People Together for 5,000 Years—The archaeology of the Abydos royal brewery beyond the headlines /  by Wendy Doyon

Headlines never tell the whole story—archaeology does. Dig deeper into the story of the world’s first royal brewery at Abydos with this roundup of some of the best features from around the web and plans for future research.

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On the Ground at Abydos: Introduction to the 2020 Field Season /  by Wendy Doyon

The first installment of our video blog series "On the Ground at Abydos" provides a brief look at the site of north Abydos, including this season’s excavations in the early Old Kingdom cemetery, with Expedition co-directors Matthew Adams and Deborah Vischak.

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What Is the Shunet el-Zebib? Part One /  by Wendy Doyon

This is the first installment in a series covering the history of exploration at the Second Dynasty cultic enclosure of King Khasekhemwy (c. 2700 BCE) in North Abydos, known today as the Shunet el-Zebib, or simply as the Shuneh. Join us as we take you on a tour of the most exciting discoveries and important milestones of the last three decades of excavation and architectural conservation at this 5,000-year-old building — one of the oldest surviving structures in the world.

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Fieldwork on the Edge of Forever: An Update on the “Portal” Temple of Ramses II at Abydos, Part One /  by Wendy Doyon

How do archaeologists get ancient ruins to give up their secrets? By working together over many generations to observe the fallen and scattered remains of a place like this one: the footprint of a small temple built by Ramses II at the northern boundary where the ancient town of Abydos and its chief Temple of Osiris opened onto the desert necropolis. Read on to learn more about this temple and the Expedition’s efforts to preserve it through the years.

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The Most Impressive Finds Ever Made at Abydos /  by Wendy Doyon

One of the most exciting aspects of this season’s excavations in the Abydos North Cemetery was the discovery of a large number of Second Dynasty seal impressions from the reign of King Khasekhemwy (c. 2700 BCE), builder of the monumental cult enclosure known today as the Shunet el-Zebib. Learn how they help us to understand what, exactly, was going on here 5,000 years ago.

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The Basket Makers of al-Hagz & the Local Roots of Archaeological Fieldwork at Abydos /  by Wendy Doyon

When you think of archaeology in Egypt, a pyramid, or a trowel, maybe a mummy, or perhaps even a palm tree is probably one of the first things to come to mind. But a hoe and basket? These may bring to mind something closer to life on a farm than an excavation, but did you know there is a long history of adapting traditional agricultural tools to archaeology in Egypt? Take a closer look at the shared historical roots of modern agricultural and archaeological fieldwork in Egypt in our latest blog post.

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Photogrammetry is the New Archaeological Photography: 3D Modeling at Abydos /  by Wendy Doyon

Excavation is at the heart of all archaeology — it is how we see into the past. But any excavation is only as good as the body of knowledge and understanding it supports through documentation, conservation, outreach, and publication. Read on to see how advanced technologies like 3D modeling are adding new dimensions of context to traditional methods of archaeological documentation.

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Conserving a Painted Coffin In Situ /  by Wendy Doyon

Thousands of burials lie beneath the desert landscape at Abydos, many in subterranean tombs, others in plain wooden coffins placed in pits in the sand. Once in a while, an elaborate burial comes to light and takes your breath away — like the one we found last week just outside the east corner gateway of the Shunet el-Zebib. Read on for an in-depth, conservator’s-eye-view of this exciting find.

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