A Multidisciplinary Mission for Aga Khan Necropolis, the Egyptian Italian Mission at West Aswan (EIMAWA)

Massimiliana Pozzi, deputy director of EIMAWA, the Italian-Egyptian mission in the West of Aswan, presents the first results of the archaeological research conducted in Aswan 2019/2023. EIMAWA is the joint mission of the University of Milan and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities directed by Patrizia Piacentini and S.M. Abd El-Moneim. An area of 20,000 m2 was investigated in which approximately 300 tombs dating back to between the sixth century BC and the fourth century AD were identified. Five of them have been completely excavated. Until 2019, it was not known where the Aswan burials were in the Late Period. The vast necropolis discovered constitutes a missing link of great historical and cultural importance. Mummies, wooden objects, ceramics, glass, linen “cartonnages”, remains of ancient foods and flowers were found in and around the tombs, requiring a multidisciplinary approach to the excavation and study of the material. Significant activities have already been carried out which, by applying geomatic techniques, forensic and paleopathological analyzes to the study of the mummies, have made it possible to identify the sex, age and circumstances of the death of these people. Chemists and restorers were involved in the team to study the composition of the materials that would allow for their best conservation. “Big Data” experts collaborated with EIMAWA to organize all the information collected during the excavation.