« La nécropole de Saqqarah n’est plus aujourd’hui qu’un amas de ruines entassées sur des ruines » The Role of Auguste Mariette in the Exploration of Select New Kingdom Tombs”

The name of Auguste Mariette will for always be associated with Saqqara, and in particular with the Serapeum, which he started to explore in 1850. The grand discoveries he made in the underground galleries and the numerous Old Kingdom mastaba tombs in the vicinity today overshadow the fruits of his work elsewhere on the elevated desert plateau opposite ancient Memphis. Following the foundation of the antiquities organisation in 1858, Mariette started excavations at various sites throughout Egypt, including Saqqara. In the area of the plateau today known as the Unas South Cemetery, Mariette, assisted by Théodule Devéria, excavated and documented a number of tombs of New Kingdom date. Selected tomb elements - inscribed and decorated – were taken to the soon-to-be-opened Bulaq Museum, while the tomb-superstructures soon disappeared again below the shifting desert sands. Recent research on the photographic documentation of Devéria has revealed much about where and how Mariette excavated in this area of Saqqara. Some of the tombs initially documented by Mariette have been re-excavated in recent years, including by the Leiden-Turin archaeological mission. It presents us with the opportunity to combine historic, archival, and archaeological data to highlight Mariette’s work: his methodologies, interests, and legacy.