The National Museum of Antiquities has been working on an excavation project in Saqqara since 1975, carrying out research and excavations for a few weeks each year. In 2015, the Museo Egizio in Turin joined the project as an official partner. The field direction is conducted by The National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, together with Dr. Christian Greco and Paolo Del Vesco of the Museo Egizio, Turin.

Developments in 2023

In 2023, archaeological fieldwork took place from 19 February to 23 March, during which time the tomb of Panehsy was excavated.

• For the results of the excavation seasons of 2023, 2022 and 2019, and more, see the news items at the bottom of this page.

In June 2023, the Egyptian authorities denied the museum permission to continue its fieldwork in Saqqara in a reaction to angry responses to the exhibition Kemet. Thanks to the Museo Egizio in Turin, the foremost partner in the excavation project, research in Saqqara can continue. The National Museum of Antiquities hopes to be able to contribute to the fieldwork in the near future.

Saqqara

The modern village of Saqqara lies about thirty kilometres south of Cairo. From Saqqara you can see the famous step pyramid built by pharaoh Djoser (c. 2650 BC) on the horizon. For thousands of years, the desert near the village was used as the cemetery for the nearby city of Memphis. For centuries, many high-ranking officials and members of the royal family were buried at the cemetery. In a section of this necropolis, the museum has conducted research for five decades with permission of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The excavation site is known for the monumental tombs dating from the reign of the pharaohs Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and Ramesses I and II (1334-1212 BC). The grounds were also used for burials in much earlier and later periods of Egyptian history.

Burial chambers

Most of the tombs that the museum has found in Saqqara are shaped as small temples, with an underground burial vault or a complex of different burial chambers. The walls of the tomb chapels are decorated with sculpted reliefs and colourful wall paintings. The subterranean burial chambers can be reached via deep shafts.

The research team

The international research team consists of scientific experts and staff attached to the two museums and the Egyptian antiquities service, as well as Egyptian colleagues who do the archaeological work of removing the layers of sand. The team registers all finds, traces, and other on-site discoveries. They study and analyse the results at length afterwards, eventually publishing their reports in scientific journals. All finds remain in Egypt and are managed by the Egyptian antiquities service.

Partners excavation project

The archaeological research project in Saqqara was launched in 1975. Up until 1998, the museum cooperated with the Egypt Exploration Society in London. The University of Leiden became involved in the project in 1999, followed by the Museo Archeologico in Bologna in 2011. In 2015 the Museo Egizio in Turin joined in as the third partner.

Friends of Saqqara

You can also follow the progress of the excavations in Saqqara on the website of the Friends of Saqqara and support this project by joining the Friends of Saqqara or by donating to the museum directly.

Learning more about the museum collection

The original aim of the research project was to learn more about the background and history of the objects from Saqqara in the museum’s collection. In the nineteenth century, many objects from Saqqara, such as reliefs and stelae, have become dispersed among museums all over the world, including the National Museum of Antiquities. Therefore, the museum has excavated at Saqqara in the immediate vicinity of sites where such objects were found in the nineteenth century. The excavations have informed researchers about the tombs in which these objects were found. For instance, they now know more about where and how these objects were used. In addition, tombs once believed to have been lost have been rediscovered.

Wider purpose

The current research project tries to understand the wider Saqqara area and its long history, from the 2nd Dynasty (c. 2700 BC) to the Late Antique period, c. 7th century AD. Research results are published in scientific books and articles. Nowadays, the objects excavated by the museum are kept in Egyptian storerooms and museums. For example, the double statue of the high priest Meryneith and his wife Anuy, excavated in 2001, is now displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.