El Kab

Arriving at El Kab in early December, the team quickly turned a series of uninscribed rock‑cut tombs into a surprisingly comfortable base. The solid stone walls provide a natural climate that keeps the heat out and the cold at bay, making the underground quarters feel almost like a modern retreat. Working with a small, skilled crew of local laborers, the excavators found the site unusually quiet—no bustling crowds of onlookers or the usual threats of theft that plague other Egyptian digs.

Within weeks they began to uncover a wealth of artifacts from the XIIth dynasty, carefully documenting tomb plans, pottery, and stone vessels. The detailed plates illustrate everything from elegant alabaster jars to intricate scarabs, offering a vivid picture of daily life in ancient Egypt. Collaborators from both the field and London helped sort, exhibit, and distribute the finds, turning this remote hillside into a key source of insight for scholars and museum visitors alike.