EEF | Artefacts of Excavation

Photograph of Flinders Petrie on site of BSAE excavations at Memphis around 1909. (Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, archives)

Flinders Petrie on site of BSAE excavations at Memphis around 1909. Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL.

British School of Archaeology in Egypt (BSAE), 1905–1954

The Egyptian Research Account (ERA) was essentially a bank account, rather than an institution.

Exhibition invitation card for display of finds from excavations at Abydos and drawings made by the ERA.

Egyptian Research Account (ERA), 1893–1905

With his appointment to the UK’s first Chair in Egyptian Archaeology and Anthropology at UCL in 1893 – the Edwards Professorship – Flinders Petrie was able to form his own Egyptian Research Account to support students participation in excavations in Egypt.

Fragment of painted plaster from the North Palace at Amarna now in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL (UC2267)

Fragment of painted plaster from the North Palace at Amarna now in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL (UC2267)

Flinders Petrie Independent Excavations 1887–1892

Flinders Petrie’s first sponsored excavations in Egypt were for the Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF) in 1884. Unfortunately, his relationship with the EEF was always fractious and after disagreements with the EEF committee in 1886 he decided to work independently.

Egypt Exploration Society (EES) 1919–present

Following the First World War the Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF) became the Egypt Exploration Society (EES), and ‘subscribers’ became ‘members’.

Photograph of crates of excavated finds from EEF digs.

Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF)

The London-based Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF) was founded in 1882 by Amelia Edwards and Reginald Stuart Poole in order to explore, survey, and excavate in Egypt. Sharing the results of their work was also a core value.