Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (7.1995(1996))

DEIR EL-BAHARI

THE EPIGRAPHIC MISSION
TO THE HATSHEPSUT TEMPLE 1995
by Janusz Karkowski
THE SEVENTH SEASON (February 10 - March 16, 1995).'
The short spring season at the temple of Hatshepsut was
devoted by the Polish Epigraphic Mission to the recording and
study of scenes and texts in the Hathor Shrine. The principal goal
was to complete tracings and to verily the former recording of the
decoration of the colonnade for the planned first volume of the
new publication of the shrine.
Significant progress has been made in verifying E.Baraize's
old restoration and selecting from the stores fragments that had
belonged to the colonnade walls and pillars. Trial restorations were
made of parts of the scenes in low relief with new blocks back in
place (Fig. 1). The Mission achieved significant results in studying
the sunk relief fragments in the temple stores. Numerous fragments
from the two facades, which were built in two stages, were
selected and recorded" (Fig. 2); the same is true for fragments from
the pillars of the outer colonnade.

' The Mission was directed by Dr. Janusz Karkowski. Mission members
inciuded Dr. Nathalie Beaux and Miss Katherine Spence (egyptoiogists), Mr.
Jean-Francois Gout (photographer) and Mr. Ramcs Boutros (architect).
The mission woufd like to express its gratitude to the Supreme Council for
Antiquities representatives at Luxor and Gurna, Dr. Mohammed el-Soghir and
Mr. Sabri Abd el-Aziz, as wefi as to the inspectors delegated to the Mission,
Mr. Yasser Youssif and Mr. Salah el-Bayumi.
The mission would not have been able to realize its goals without the help
of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo. Thus, we would like
to thank Prof. Nicholas Grimal. the Institute's Director. We are also indebted
to the French-Egyptian Center of Research of the Temples of Karnak for
logistic help.
" Cf. N. Beaux, J. Karkowski, 7YE40 93 (1993), 7-15.

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