In 1998 the Centre for Egyptological Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (CESRAS, Dr. Galina A. Belova Director) and the Institute for Egyptology and Coptology of the University of Muenster (Prof.Dr. Erhart Graefe Director) started the re-excavation of the famous Tomb of the Royal Mummies. The tomb had been emptied in a most un-scientific manner by Emil Brugsch in 1881 and had never been properly investigated or surveyed. The joint Russian-German field project was concluded in early 2006 and the results are being evaluated for definitive publication.
This large tomb (70m long, reached through a shaft 11m deep), the only rock-cut tomb of the 21a Dynasty of the High Priests of Amun in Karnak (1070-945 BCE), built by the High Priest Pinodjem II for his wife Nesjkhonsu. It was used in the reign of Sheshonq I at the beginning of the 22nd Dynasty as a hiding place for the pillaged remains of many rulers of earlier periods, including Ramesses II. Not all of the 6000 aritfacts removed from the tomb in 1881 have survived, but those now in the National Museum in Cairo are priceless keys to the history of Egypt from the late 17th Dynasty (mummies of Seqenenre and his family) to the beginning of the 22nd Dynasty (Djedptahjuefankh).
We have set up a website where scientific information and images regarding the tomb and the history of the 21a Dynasty are continually being published: http://www.tt320.org. We invite you to visit the site which is linked to our larger egyptological network http://www.cesras.org where you will find many images which you are free to download and use for non-commercial purposes (see our policy on the use of images in the web at http://www.interpixels.org).
We would be grateful for your comments and would welcome any material which you might have regarding the tomb, its contents and the 21a Dynasty.
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Tomb Of The Royal Mummies (tt320, Deir El-bahri) Re-excavation and ongoing study of the contents and history of the tom
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