Helwan necropolis attracts Egyptologists

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=20509
Terribly threatened by urban expansion, the immensely important site of Helwan continues to be the subject of study by Salima Ikram and her team under the direction of the Austrialian Centre for Egyptology at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

"Egyptologists are again looking to converge on Egypt in order to continue excavating one of the most important archaeological sites in recent, years. The Helwan necropolis, 15 miles south of Cairo, is home to over 10,000 tombs that date from pre-dynasty Egypt to the third dynasty (5,000 years ago) . . . . Ikram is excited at the excavation period, which runs through the beginning of February 2006.

Like many urban digs in Egypt, Helwan is also home to thousands of Egyptians. As villagers continue to flock to Cairo to look for work, places like Helwan are becoming flooded with more people than they can properly find housing for. Similar to the City of Dead in overpopulation and poverty, Helwan residents are concentrated in a small area that gives families limited space for their tiny homes, which makes it difficult for archaeologists to maneuver the area at times.
Egyptologists believe that the over 10,000 tombs at Helwan indicate the site is the true necropolis of Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt . . . .

Directly in front of the cemetery of Saqqara, the Helwan necropolis is home to the tombs of common people and a few elite patrons. While most tombs belong to common citizens, some tombs indicate a status almost equal to the high officials buried at Saqqara".

See the full article on the above Daily Star website for more about this exciting excavation, and the unchecked urban development that poses an ongoing and serious threat.