1921-22 el-Amarna

Type of fieldwork: 
Excavation
Season summary: 

The season took place from 20 October 1921 to 10 February 1922 and focused on four different sites within the larger city:

  • Workman's village: The walled village is located in the desert east of the city and the excavators proposed it was the dwelling of artisans who worked on the tombs of the nobility. This is partially because the modest village was located at the nexus of a road networks and the modest nature of the dwellings.
  • Main city: Excavations continued in the main city where 20 houses between High Priest's Street and the Sikket-es-Sultan; to the west of this group a series of 3 houses were excavated but abandoned due to contemporary damage; a group of houses adjacent to the excavation of 1921; and 5 isolated house between the dig house and the village toward the southern outskirts of the city.
  • River temple: The site was investigated because of the stories that 2 decorated lintels have been found there and this identified a sizable mound which the south section of the modern village was built upon. The excavation was limited to areas lying between houses and areas of cultivation. The excavation of this area lasted from 10 December and was abandoned due to the difficult situation of modern occupation and cultivation that had destroyed the ancient ruins.
  • Precinct of the southern pool: The name of the area was taken from a phrase that is commonly found in the epigraphic remains in the vicinity. The site is behind and and to the north of the modern villaga of Hawata and was first excavated by M. Barsanti in 1896 who found painted pavements and frescos, the majority of which are in Cairo although some are in Berlin; as the Germans also dug for one day in the area in 1907. Excavations in this area started on November 18 but the area had been seriously damaged by sabakh digging. The site is comprised of two rectangular enclosures which contained lakes, gardens and buildings (the excavators name as a temple, a summer house, an audience hall, and a possible harem). 
Relevant archive holdings: 
London, Lucy Gura Archive, Egypt Exploration Society
Relevant publications: 

Catalogue of exhibition of antiquities from Tell el-Amarna, 1921-22: exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, July 3rd to July 12th, 1922 / Egypt Exploration Society. 1922. London : Egypt Exploration Society.

Additional archive material: 
Oxford, Griffith Institute, University of Oxford
Related excavations: 
Distribution destinations: