Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (13.2001(2002))

WEST SAQQARA


WEST SAQQARA
EXCAVATIONS, 2001
Karol Mysliwiec

The Polish-Egyptian archaeological mission pursued its activities at Saqqara from October
7 until November 22, 2001.0 Ongoing conservation of relief and paintings inside the
funerary chapel of vizier Meref-nebef, discovered in 1997 ivest of the Djoser pyramid, was
the main focus of the present campaign. Restorers also worked on finds from previous
campaigns, e.g., the wooden harpoon discovered in 2000. Following a request from Egyptian
colleagues, they also undertook the conservation of stone and ceramic vessels fro?n the newly
discovered tomb of Qar near the Wenis pyramid.
Specialists continued the recording and study of the various groups of objects found during
previous campaigns, including two of the largest: pottery, and anthropological remains
{mummies and skeletons).
The excavation program was limited to two areas:
1) the trench extending westwards from the tomb of Meref-nebef and the immediate
neighborhood of the vizier's mastaba to the north and south, and
2) the area located between the enclosure wall of the step pyramid and the mud brick
mastaba of Peh-en-Ptah excavated in 1999-

1) The team comprised: Prof. Dr, Karol Mysliwiec, Director; Prof. Dr. Maria Kaczmarek, anthropologist; Dr. Kamil
Kuraszkiewicz, Mrs. Teodozja Rzeuska, Mrs. Agnieszka Kowalska, Egyptologists; Mr. Zbigniew Godziejewski, Mrs. Anna
Klosowska, Mrs. Teresa Zurkowka, conservators; Ms. Malgorzata Radomska and Mr. Krzysztof Dymkowski, archaeologists;
Mr. Maciej Jawornicki, photographer; Ms. Mariola Orzechowska and Mr. Slawomir Malinowski, documentalists.
The Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities was represented by Mr. Salah Mohamed El-Assy, Inspector of the Mission.
Fieldwork has been dependent on the help and friendly cooperation of the highest authorities of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities: Prof. Dr. Gaballa Ali Gaballa, Secretary General, and Prof. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Director of the Giza Plateau and
Cairo, whom we would like to thank in particular.
We also gratefully acknowledge the commitment of Mr. Adel Hussein, Director of Saqqara district, and Mr. Sarny Al-
Husseyni, director in charge of the district, to making the season a success.

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