Prometheus 6

The Theban Mapping Project is an interactive atlas of the archeological work that was and is being done in Egypt's Valley of Kings.

Since its inception in 1978, the Theban Mapping Project (TMP, now based at the American University in Cairo) has been working to prepare a comprehensive archaeological database of Thebes. With its thousands of tombs and temples, Thebes is one of the world's most important archaeological zones. Sadly, however, it has not fared well over the years. Treasure-hunters and curio-seekers plundered it in the past; pollution, rising ground water, and mass-tourism threaten it in the present. Even early archaeologists destroyed valuable information in their search for museum-quality pieces.

Today, however, we realize that the monuments of Thebes are a finite resource. If we fail to protect and monitor them, they will vanish, and we and our descendants will all be the poorer. The TMP believes that the first and most essential step in preserving this heritage is a detailed map and database of every archaeological, geological, and ethnographic feature in Thebes. Only when these are available can sensible plans be made for tourism, conservation, and further study.

During the last decade, the TMP has concentrated on the Valley of the Kings. Modern surveying techniques were used to measure its tombs. From the data collected, the TMP is preparing 3-D computer models of the tombs. And of course, the TMP is continuing its excavation of KV 5. For the TMP staff, sharing their work with the interested public is just as important as what they do in the field. This has been done through a series of publications and this growing website.

I found this site after watching a TV show about the folks who actually built the Egyptian Pyramids. I was hoping to find a site for the show itself...I may have found it, in fact, but I'm not sure it was a BBC show.

Anyway, it turns out working on the Pyramids was a high status position. Check out a typical worker's living quarters.

You couldn't afford an apartment like that in New York.

Anyway, the Theban Mapping Project has information on Dayr al Madinah, the city of the pyramid builder among a series of articles on the history and development of the Valley of Kings and their entombment practices.