Above: Teti Pyramid (right) with the Step Pyramid in the distance (left)
Since my professors were finishing up a season of excavation near the Teti Pyramid at Saqqara when I arrived in Cairo, a visit to the site was called for. After several days of troublesome communications, it was settled on that I would visit the site this past Monday. After a little bit of confusion about which entrance into Saqqara my driver and I should take, we found the local Taftish (SCA Office), and I was welcomed by the inspectors there and told I could move on to the site.
Left: Jean working on the photography while men work up on top of the wall in the background.
Below: Little A running down the hill/wall with the inspector's son.
With it being the day before the start of the Eid el-Adha, the small team was in a rush to complete their work. However, we got a chance to talk during their lunch break, after which Joe showed me around the site and explained what they had been doing. The most exciting part of the trip was getting to climb down a rope ladder into one of the shafts and crawl around through the ancient tunnels, following Joe as he gave me the full tour. I convinced Joe to take a couple of pictures of me underground with my camera.
The one of me next to the tunnel with a femur in it (below) is my favorite of the two. It wasn't as hot down there as I had feared it might be, but you can see thatI still broke a sweat
from all the crawling around and squeezing through holes.
After this, I got to climb back up via a different shaft and take a look around on the surface. I had not thought I would have a chance to slither around in the dirt while I was there, so I had dressed more appropriately for the city than an excavation. You can see the thick layer of dirt I accumulated. There was apparently some sort of soot on my cheek also, which I didn't know was there until I got home and looked in the mirror. Needless to say, I immediately threw my clothes in the washing machine and hopped in the shower upon arriving home.
1 comment:
Hey M,
What a TERRIFIC experience Saqqara appears to have been for you. I am SOOOO envious. However, I got a wonderful Christmas present from the DH. He gave me a set of canopic jars for display in my office. Talk about getting excited! LOL They're not the real thing, but the fact that he was thoughtful enough to find something that he knew would appeal to me was so touching!
Looking forward to some more great posts of your experiences. I really wished I'd had my act together at your age and just followed my heart into the depths of Egypt.
Happy Holidays, and wishes for a wonderful new year! Monica
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