Saqqara: Saqqara is located about thirty kilometers south of Cairo, in the western desert. The site was the necropolis of ancient Memphis, one of the most important administrative and religious centers in the history of ancient Egypt. The History of the Excavation and Partners: The excavation project at Saqqara began in 1975. Until 1998, the Rijksmuseum of Leiden collaborated with the Egypt Exploration Society of London. The University of Leiden (since 1999) and the Archaeological Museum of Bologna (since 2011) have also been involved in the project. In 2015, the Museo Egizio joined as the third partner, in the area south of the raised causeway of Unas. In 2018, the Italian-Dutch mission in Saqqara decided to use digital images to document the activities of the mission, in collaboration with the 3D Surveying Group, Department ABC, Politecnico di Milano. After two and a half years of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint excavation resumed in the fall of 2022. During that season, the team excavated the monumental tomb of Panehsy, a dignitary from the reign of Ramses II (around 1279-1259 BC). The 2023 excavation season began on February 19. The current directors of the mission are Lara Weiss, director of the Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum in Hildesheim, and Christian Greco, director of the Museo Egizio. The Team: The researchers work every year, and the fieldwork usually takes place between March and/or April. Archaeological excavation, artifact cataloging, restoration, and documentation of the work process are just some of the daily activities carried out. Once the excavation season is declared closed, the study continues until the publication of reports in scientific journals. None of this would be possible without the collaboration of the team members, who are highly specialized figures from Egypt, Italy, the Netherlands, and beyond. The Objectives: In addition to the original objective of recontextualizing fragments of tombs and statues currently housed at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (RMO), the excavations also aim to better understand the necropolis as a whole and its long history. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture has granted permission to conduct research near the tomb of Horemheb before he became Pharaoh, in the shadow of the first pyramid ever built in Egypt, the pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser. Partners: The project is funded by the Rijksmuseum of Leiden, the University of Leiden, the Museo Egizio, the travel agency Labrys Reizen, the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Friends of Saqqara Foundation, and some private donors. The Friends of Saqqara Foundation provides financial support for the ongoing excavation project. Donors to this foundation can participate free of charge in the annual Saqqara Day (in June) and receive the Saqqara Newsletter, which is sent every fall.

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