Artefacts of Excavation

The excavations were sponsored by the Graeco-Roman branch and thus were concerned with recovering papyri from the Graeco-Roman period rather than objects or material from different time periods.

Excavations at the large cemetery started on the 19th November and finished on 4 January 1910. Although Graeco-Roman graves were uncovered, the majority were damaged by damp and papyri was unable to be recovered. The excavators note finding mummiform coffins and a gilded and painted Osiris statuette and a group of graves with papyrus and linen cartonnage. The excavators note that a great number of intact Middle and New Kingdom graves exist at the site, but are not of interest to their purpose. They also investigrated Mound II and IV and found some Arabic and Coptic papyri.