Members of a Cumbrian society have donated £300 to help with an excavation in Egypt.
Carlisle and District Egyptology Society raised the funds for Friends of Silsila, which has been excavating the quarry of Gebel el-Silsila since 2012.
It is the second largest site in the whole of Egypt and home to the sandstone quarries used by pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Akhenaten.
The society was set up in 2007 in memory of Dr Colin Walters, an Egyptologist who was local to Carlisle and ran courses at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.
Andy Jardine, of the society, said: “We have been following the progress of the excavations at Gebel el-Silsila and have been captivated by the discoveries made on site.
“The Silsila project was nominated for a grant by members at a ballot at our AGM in September 2022. So much has been gained from the excavations there that was previously unknown. Many of the monuments in Egypt have been built from Silsila sandstone.
Friends of Silsila was set up by Swedish Egyptologist Dr Maria Nilsson and her British archaeologist husband John Ward. They are familiar faces having appeared on many National Geographic and Travel Channel documentaries.
Second in size only to the site of the Giza Pyramids, Gebel el-Silsila spans 12 square miles and 10,000 years of human activity. Maria and John lead an international team of more than 100 people. Each dig season they are joined on site by their young children Freja and Jonathan.
Andy added: “Maria and John are inspirational in how they decamp from Sweden to Egypt with their children to join their Egyptian family of excavators and ground crew. It’s always great to be able to follow the progress while they are there.”
John said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to the society and its generous members for supporting our project. Gebel el-Silsila was home to the people who built ancient Egypt. Through our ongoing work we hope to answer the questions about what happened to the people who lived, worked and died there. But this unique site requires immediate action as the risk of collapse and complete erosion is imminent due to water damage of the sandstone structures.
“To cover the daily costs of the archaeological excavations, conservation and preservation, we’ve set up a crowdfunding page and any support no matter how small will make a huge difference to the project, the site and to the local community by supporting employment.”
To find out more about Gebel el-Silsila and to support the project, visit http://bit.ly/3ZSr2vQ
On Thursday 22 June at 7pm, Maria and John will host an update on the latest discoveries at the site via Zoom. Tickets are £5 plus Eventbrite fees and can be booked online at http://bit.ly/3mUZV50
In addition to regular Zoom lectures, the society also hosts regular face to face talks and trips. To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/Carlisle.Egyptology or email carlisle.egypt@yahoo.co.uk
