Saqqara 2012 season closes, with update on looted items

Saqqara 2012 Dig Diary (Maarten Raven)

The week started with final retouches being done to the chapel of Khay, found in 1985 and now in need of some restoration because the gypsum layer covering large areas of the inferior limestone reliefs is coming loose. Our able restorer Mohammed did a good job and the wall decoration has been preserved.

Christian and Maarten spent two days checking the records in the central magazine of the SCA and repacking all the finds from our expedition kept there (a task started last week and brought to completion on Sunday).

We now have lists which enable us to know the whereabouts of every find of the years 1999-2010 in a matter of seconds. This means that finally we are also able to specify which objects were stolen during the looting of our site in January 2011 (the early days of the Egyptian revolution). Altogether, our losses amount to 84 shabtis and shabti fragments, 18 textiles, and a number of wooden objects, inscribed potsherds, amulets, and items of jewellery.