Abstract der Referentin

Well known as the chief necropolis of the town of Khemenu (Hermopolis Magna) in the 15th Upper Egyptian nome during the Middle Kingdom, Dayr al-Barsha has been under investigation by a team of KU Leuven and the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo since 2002. Over the course of the past twenty years, work has been carried out in different parts of the site, revealing the image of a multifaceted necropolis in use over a period of time far exceeding the Middle Kingdom. Following a brief historic overview of the research at the site, the results of recent fieldwork will be discussed. They offer new insights in funerary traditions during the Old and Middle Kingdom, including unusual deposits of animal remains and embalming caches.