{"id":287912,"date":"2021-02-03T16:31:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T19:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=287912"},"modified":"2021-02-03T16:53:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T19:53:00","slug":"brazilian-archaeologist-discusses-finds-in-egypt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/brazilian-archaeologist-discusses-finds-in-egypt\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazilian archaeologist discusses finds in Egypt"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The holder of a doctorate degree in Egyptian Archaeology and the coordinator of the Brazilian Archaeological Program in Egypt (BAPE), professor Jos\u00e9 Roberto Pellini (pictured above<\/em>) discussed his experience in the Theban tombs of the Qurna area in Luxor, Upper Egypt, during an online event hosted by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) this Wednesday morning (3).<\/p>\n

During the e-conference \u201cTransitory materialities: the experience of the Brazilian archaeological program in Qurna,\u201d Pellini went over the latest developments of the Theban Tombs 123 (TT-123) and TT-368 digs, also known as the Amenemhet Project, underway since 2015. This is the first-ever archaeological mission in the Arab country led by a Brazilian professional and a Brazilian university \u2013 the UFMG.<\/p>\n

Pellini was last in Luxor in January and February 2020, when a well was discovered inside the tomb. The work has been put on hold this year due to the pandemic, he said.<\/p>\n

According to Pellini, the well was excavated, uncovering seven mummies, pharaonic items, modern items such as glass bottle fragments, and the existence of different floorings. Funeral cones bearing the name of the tomb\u2019s owner, Amenemhet, were also encountered.<\/p>\n

In January 2020, the statue room was also excavated, leading to a new, previously unmapped well. \u201cAs the dig progressed, we ascertained that the well led to Amenemhet\u2019s funeral chamber. The work stopped just as we removed the sediments that had been blocking the entrance to the funeral chamber. We were able to see a lot of sediment and stones, but we couldn\u2019t tell whether the sarcophagus holding Amenemhet\u2019s body was there or not,\u201d regretted Pellini. The conservation and restoration work also began in 2020, involving professor from the UFMG Fine Arts Department, he said.<\/p>\n

Pellini also mentioned an experiment that saw the tomb lit up with electronic candles and cut off from natural light, based on the idea that the tombs may have been inhabited at night, both in the pharaonic and the modern eras. \u201cIt gave us a very different perception of the space (\u2026) as we walked around holding the candles, the images on the walls appeared to move,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The archaeologist also said he found animal feces on the walls and discovered that because it\u2019s really cold during winter in the desert, the Qurnawis had to tend their animals inside the tombs. They would use dry manure mixed with straw and sugarcane stalks as fuel to light torches for heat. \u201cThe tomb was a parking lot for donkeys back in 1932,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s more on this topic:<\/em><\/p>\n