STUDENT DAYNOTES AMHEIDA 2008

Name: Adam Prins Supervisor(s): Ellen Morris, Anna Boozer and Eugene Ball Date: 1/31/08

□ Excavation □ Small Finds X Topography/Survey □ Photography □ Ceramics

└►Area: Room(s): X Data entry

What I have done:

At 6:30 am I went into the field to conduct a survey with Ellen Morris. We walked off from Amheida and surveyed, with a GPS unit in tow, the surrounding areas. We came across what we interpreted as at least two settlements, one of which was most likely connected with or was a part of Amheida proper, as it was directly across the modern road from the ancient city. This site extended out approximately half a kilometer or more from the modern road; we found Sheikh Muftah pottery in this area, which came as a surprise to Ellen. We also walked approximately two to three kilometers south of Amheida, past the second pyramid and past the guard shack, where we found more Sheikh Muftah pottery and a plethora of finely worked lithics.

After coming back from the field, I began to digitize the remaining backlogged FSU plan from the 2005 Amheida season, Area 1.3 Room 3. I finished at 5:30 pm.

At 5:45 pm, I began to digitize a backlogged day drawing of Room 2 in area 1.3 from the 2005 season. I finished at 7:00 pm.

What I have learned:

Today I learned the basic techniques of surveying. Ellen and I walked the land surrounding Amheida with our heads to the ground looking for pottery and/or lithics. If we came across any, we would stop, pick it up, and attempt to determine what culture or settlement it could be attributed to (Roman, Old Kingdom, Sheikh Muftah etc.). If there was a significant amount of pottery or lithics in a concentrated area, Ellen would input it as a point in the GPS unit and after returning to the dig house, she would place those points on the greater topographic map. This is done so the outlying areas where a permit to dig has not yet been granted might be added to Amheida's concession; this at least reserves the right to excavate there in the future. If the land is not added to Amheida's concession, it is not protected by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and can thusly be farmed and built on, potentially destroying archaeological material underneath.

Learning the ins and outs of surveying and a bit of politics has given me a more general sense of excavating in Egypt. Surveying is an important skill, and this day of walking made me relatively comfortable with it.

Problems I have found:

I did not encounter any problems today.