During the third PCMA Seminar in the “Current research at Deir el-Bahari” series, Cynthia May Sheikholeslami (independent researcher) will present a lecture: “The Baraize Tomb at Deir el-Bahari, 100 Years of Exploration.”
Abstract: “Ninety-two years ago, in the winter/spring of 1933, Emile Baraize discovered a tomb with a cache of coffins while searching the pavements of the upper terrace at Deir el-Bahari for blocks belonging to the chapel of Hatshepsut. Although Baraize, then director of works for the Egyptian Antiquities Service, spent much of his career restoring the temple, he never published any details of this find. The tomb contained four coffin sets belonging to two priests of the god Montu and two women, and was briefly mentioned in contemporary newspapers and Egyptological journals.
In 1956, twenty-three years after the discovery and following Baraize’s death, archaeologist Bernard Bruyère published a short report focusing primarily on genealogical information. The coffins resurfaced in 1975 when three inner coffins were selected for the new Luxor Museum—though only one was ultimately displayed. Over the last fifty years, further efforts have been made to relocate and study the surviving elements of this cache.
The “Baraize Tomb” was rediscovered in 2009 by Polish archaeologists. After nearly a century, a comprehensive publication of the entire find, prepared by the Polish-Egyptian Mission at Deir el-Bahari, is scheduled for 2028.”
The seminar will be held on Thursday, 24th April at 2 pm (Warsaw time) on the Zoom platform. The whole series is accessible via the same Zoom link.
To receive the link, please email: seminarium.pcma@uw.edu.pl
The temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari is considered one of the most important monuments of ancient Egyptian architecture. Since 1961, the temple has been the subject of research and work by a Polish-Egyptian expedition from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, whose task is to study the history of this sacred space, its reconstruction and conservation.
As part of this lecture series at the PCMA Seminars, members of the Polish-Egyptian expedition will present the results of the latest fieldwork and studies, focusing on archaeological excavations, epigraphic research, as well as restoration and conservation treatments.
The organizer of the series is Dr. Patryk Chudzik from the Department of Egyptian Archaeology PCMA UW. The lectures in this series cover topics related to the latest research conducted by the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Expedition to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.