During the winter of 2018–19 and summer of 2019, a team of Penn Museum archaeologists returned to South Abydos for work on the royal mortuary complex of pharaoh Senwosret III (ca. 1850 BCE) and the area of the tomb of King Seneb-Kay (ca. 1600 BCE). Activity this year examined new areas of the royal necropolis, providing new evidence on the use of the landscape.
A major focus of attention was the area around the temple of Senwosret III, where excavations exposed a previously unknown bakery building that was used between ca. 1850 and 1750 BCE. Exploratory work nearby examined part of a large late Roman-Byzantine Period settlement, which offers considerable potential for future work on Abydos related to the late antiquity period. Alongside the excavations and working closely with the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities, a protective visitors’ building was constructed over the tomb of King Seneb-Kay. Conservation work completed in recent seasons and the installation of the new building will allow two royal tombs (of Senwosret III and Seneb-Kay) to be open to visitors in the near future. Along with the Museum’s research, a long-term goal is to contribute to the protection of the cultural heritage of ancient Abydos.
All Photos courtesy of the South Abydos Project.