After a ten-year hiatus, the expedition of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, has resumed work at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna in Egypt.
The expedition, led by Dr. Aleksandra Pawlikowska-Gwiazda (National Museum in Warsaw), focuses on researching the transformation of Middle Kingdom tombs MMA 1151 and 1152 into a Coptic hermitage with a chapel. This project continues the research first undertaken by the late Tomasz Górecki, the long-time head of the Sheikh Abd el-Qurna expedition.
One of the key activities of the season, which concluded in late November 2024, was creating orthophotographic documentation and 3D models of all monastic structures located in front of the entrance to tomb MMA 1152. This task was carried out by Dr. Dawid Wieczorek of the PCMA UW.
Simultaneously, analyses were conducted on artifacts collected during previous excavation seasons. Dr. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda studied silt vessel stoppers, which had not been previously examined in detail apart from a cursory mention in one of Tomasz Górecki’s articles. Meanwhile, Dr. Patryk Chudzik (PCMA UW) focused on analyzing wooden artifacts from the tomb’s original Middle Kingdom context.
An important component of the project was the conservation of Coptic wall paintings in tomb MMA 1152, carried out by Hussein Mohammed Hassan. This phase of the project was made possible through financial support from the Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society.
The aim of these efforts is to complete the documentation necessary for the final monograph of the site. With Dr. Aleksandra Pawlikowska-Gwiazda as editor, the volume will also be published under the name of Tomasz Górecki, incorporating contributions from other co-authors.
Learn more about previous PCMA UW research at the site: Sheikh Abd el-Qurna.
Gallery:
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Biuro polowe w wieży na stanowisku, gdzie Aleksandra Pawlikowska-Gwiazda zajmowała się dokumentowaniem zatyczek mułowych (fot. Dawid Wieczorek)// Field office in the tower where Aleksandra Pawlikowska-Gwiazda was responsible for documenting silt plugs (photo: Dawid Wieczorek) -
Wypełnianie pęknięć w północnej ścianie MMA 1152, gdzie w szczelinach gniazdowały gołębie, a ich obecność i ekskrementy przyczyniły się do zniszczenia malowideł (fot. A.Pawlikowska-Gwiazda)// Filling the cracks in the north wall of MMA 1152, where pigeons nested, whose presence and excrement contributed to the destruction of the paintings (photo: A. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda) -
Do pracy by się szło! Robotnik podążający ścieżką łączącą kaplicę zlokalizowaną w MMA 1151 z eremem w MMA 1152 (fot. A. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda)// Worker following the path that connects the chapel in MMA 1151 to the erem in MMA 1152. (photo: A. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda) -
W oczekiwaniu na cień. Dawid Wieczorek podczas robienia ortofotografii poszczególnych części stanowiska (fot. A. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda)// Waiting for shade. Dawid Wieczorek is taking orthophotographs of different parts of the stand (photo: A. Pawlikowska-Gwiazda)
