INTRODUCTION

The fall campaign of the team of the Civiche Raccolte Archeologiche of Milan in the tombs of Harwa and Akhimneru started on October 23^rd and ended on December 14^th, 2000. It was preceded by a brief stay on the spot, last spring (April 4^th - 10^th), mainly aimed to verify parallelisms between the decoration of the tombs of Harwa and of Montuemhat. On that occasion a sum of money was left to the Inspector of the Supreme Council of the Antiquities Ayman Mohammed Ibrahim. It was intended to pay workmen who had to remove debris hanging over the eastern side of the Harwa’s main entrance: the eastern portico ceiling was cracked and in danger of collapse.

During the April activities a portion of a cut rock cliff was discovered whose excavation was carried out in October. The top of the entrance staircase to the tomb was also discovered during the fall campaign. We continued excavations in the open courtyard, where we already started to work in 1999. The shaft YA was completely cleared of debris. It will be used as a storeroom for the pottery, the study of which began this year. We also completely cleared the floor of room XA and shaft YI. The little room at the bottom of shaft YI will be used to store human remains and bandages discovered during our excavations.

In April just the writer was present on the spot. Other than him (Director and Egyptologist), Silvia Einaudi (Egyptologist), Beatrice Galgano (Egyptologist); Mariam Ayad (Egyptologist); Anne Seiler (Ceramologist); Franco Lovera (Photographer) and Giacomo Tiradritti (Economist and Excavations optimiser) took part to the fall campaign.

Also Professor Carla Pepe from the Istituto Universitario Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples participated in the fall campaign together with three students of that institute. Their participation was derived by an agreement signed by Civiche Raccolte Archeologiche, the Association “Harwa 2001” O.N.L.U.S. (organisation created to raise funds for the excavations) and the Istituto Universitario Suor Orsola Benincasa. The agreement is aimed at transforming the excavations in the tombs of Harwa and Akhimenru into a formative experience for selected students.

A lecture held in the High Institute for Conservation of Luxor was also the occasion to make agreements for the future participation of Egyptian students in the conservative activities in the tombs of Harwa and Akhimenru. We have the intention to formalise their participation so as to create a school where Egyptian and foreign students will be allowed to follow specialisation courses in conservation, excavation methodologies, topography and epigraphy. After that they would have the opportunity to practice in the field the teachings they received.

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