Chance of a Lifetime Experience

I (Kristal) had a chance of a Lifetime opportunity today. I got to join the sixth grade class on their field trip to Taposiris Magna.

It's about an hour west of Alexandria in a town called Abu Sir and has an ancient temple and a one tenth size replica of the Great Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria. The "chance of a lifetime experience" was the fact that this sight is NOT open to the public because monumental archeology studies are currently underway here in hope of finding the lost tombs of lovers Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. So why you ask did we get to go to a closed site excavation? Well, because the head archeologist Kathleen Martinez from the Dominican Republic has her daughter in Schutz while she is here working on the research.

It was so exciting to be at a place that few people have been allowed to go. There has hardly even been any articles or even photos published yet. Discovery Channel is making a documentary so keep on the look out maybe next year. It would be so exciting if they do discover the lost tombs; for me to say that I was their while they were doing the excavation, and saw it years before any tourist were allowed on site.

Unfortunately, Kathleen was very sick today and was not able to be here today to give us the tour herself, but another great archeologist showed us around. He took us inside the temple and showed us many sites that they have excavated and took us down into many tunnels that they had found. He also took us inside the pylons, showed us some artifacts that they had found and were storing there, then we were able to climb up and stand on top of the temple walls. Unfortunately, we were limited on what we were allowed to take pictures of since this is still a closed site and not open to the public, they don't want certain finds to be broadcast before they publish them. However, I was still allowed to take many pictures of many wonderful things...just not any of the "really good stuff". But I'll have those memories for myself for the rest of my life.

Then we went over to the cemetery which was just discovered this year! We watched as workers and archeologist worked together to excavate some tombs that they had just discovered within the past month. We went down into almost all of the tombs that have been fully excavated. At one tomb, we had to one by one be lowered into a hole and then crouch down, when you crouch down you are literally face to face with two mummies just inches away from you! In many of the other tombs there are full skeletons laying open. It was amazing. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any pictures of these, but if you watch the videos below, you can see some of what I saw.

We walked over to the little lighthouse and were able to climb up onto it and got a great view of the sea and the temple grounds.


I feel really bad, because Seth almost was able to go on this trip too, but with school closing for H1N1 he unfortunately had to be a good teacher and devote his time to his students. I was truly blessed to be granted this opportunity today and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Below are several youtube videos about the project site, some are by Zahi Hawass, the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt (you'll recognize him from so many National Geographic documentaries) and also Kathleen Martinez herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ4ugRiL8WM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTaHkrhzN9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y3MVEMJa6E

Here are a few articles:
http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/abu-sir-taposiris-magna/

http://heritage-key.com/blogs/sean-williams/digging-cleopatras-tomb-taposiris-magna

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8000978.stm