About
the Akhenaten Temple Project
Who we are:
The Akhenaten Temple
Project is an umbrella project of 23 years duration, encompassing four
archaeological expeditions to Egypt and north-east Africa.
Our general aim:
To lay bare and
analyze through the most modern scientific techniques the most ancient
civilization on earth; to study by excavation and geo-physical and geo-archaeological
survey the ecology of north-east Africa; to train up students and technicians
in history, archaeology, survey, applied physics, palaeo-botany, palaeo-zoology,
and ceramic typology.
Our record:
The discovery of
the earliest temple of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the first monotheist in history;
cleaning and restoration of the tomb of Akhenaten's butler; surface survey
of the most ancient transit corridor in Jordan; the excavations of Mendes,
largest city in the Nile Delta and sometime capital of Egypt; excavation
of Tel Kedwa, an Egyptian border fortress in North Sinai; survey of the
North Sinai "land bridge," the only land link between the two largest continents
on earth.
Our trainees:
We have trained
between 175 and 200 students and technicians over 20 years.
Our supporters:
Past financial support
has come from the Smithsonian with counterpart funds; grants in aid of
research from the Killam Program and the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada; private donations from our friends; proceeds
from a field school run under the aegis of the Pennsylvania State University.
Our facilities:
Laboratory space
in the College Park Campus of the Pennsylvania State University; two "dig"-houses
affording living, work and storage facilities at Karnak and Mendes in Egypt;
one 1979 Peugeot stationwagon; the Jean Woodhams Memorial Library (housed
at the Mendes dig-house).
Our publications:
A Newsletter (since
1991), issued quarterly, outlining the work of the preceding season; 4
volumes publishing the results of the excavations at Mendes (to be published
by Eisenbraun's Inc.); over 20 articles published in scholarly journals
worldwide; journalistic coverage in the New York Times, the Times Literary
Supplement, the Lost Angeles Times, El Ahram, the Toronto Star; a one-hour
documentary, "The Lost Pharaoh" (NFB-PBS).
Return to the Akhenaten
Temple Project Home Page.
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Published 11/10/2000.
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