The surveyors walk up
and down narrow transects with complex instruments; only after
downloading and processing the data the results
of these efforts will become clear:
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My
task was to assist with laying out the grids and locating these so that
they could be related to each other as well as to existing aerial
photographs and plans of the ancient city:
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Objective of visit:
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To assist in the geophysical
survey of the Central City, the Southern Cemetery, and the Stone
Village.
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Date of visit:
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January 2011
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Fellow visitors:
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Project director Barry Kemp,
archaeological geophysicist Jason Herrmann, and students of the Tell
el-Amarna Geophysical Field School.
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| Results: |
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A large number of geophysical
maps created with different techniques (gradiometry, conductivity and
ground penetrating radar) combined with low-level aerial imagery from a
helium balloon. |
| Approximate
position
and
date
of
the
site: |
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The ancient Egyptian city Akhetaton (modern Tell el-Amarna,
or simply Amarna) was founded around 1347 BCE by Pharaoh Akhenaton as
part of his efforts to install new religious practices in Egypt and
reduce the power of the priests. To symbolize his break with the past
Akhenaton changed his name from Amenhotep IV and moved the capital
of Egypt to Akhetaton. Amarna is located on the east bank of the Nile in Minya
Province, about half-way between Cairo and Luxor (ancient Memphis and Thebes). Apart from palaces for the
Pharoah and administrative buildings, the city also had several temples
dedicated to the worship of the Sun (Atonism). Shortly after the death
of Akhenaton, around 1332 BCE, the capital was moved back to Memphis and Thebes (modern Cairo and Luxor) and
Amarna
was abandoned. Following that, most of the monuments, inscriptions and
other
remains of the period were destroyed in an effort to erase the memory
of Akhenaton from history.
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description of the site: |
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Amarna is located just east of
the Nile, on a flat stretch of desert, about 5x10 km. in size, between
the Nile Valley and the escarpment marking the edge of the Eastern
Desert. The limits of the ancient city is marked by numerous boundary stelae. The city comprises the North City, the Central City and the South Suburbs;
further east are the North Tombs, the Royal Wadi, the Workmen's
Village, the Stone Village and the South Tombs. As the city was mostly
built of mudbrick and purposefully destroyed after the death of
Akhenaton its remains are mostly limited to its foundation levels.
Amarna is unique as it provides a snapshot of Ancient Egypt, the
remains of which furthermore are mostly tombs and temples with only
very few settlements available for research. The
most important finds from Amarna include a painted limestone bust of
Queen Nefertiti (now in Berlin) and the Amarna Letters (in cuneiform).
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| Additional
remarks: |
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Unfortunately our stay in Egypt
was cut
short
by the political events of 2011 in the region. My
participation in this project
would not have been possible without the support of the Amarna Trust, the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies,
the
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology,
and
many
individuals. |
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