Archivio di Stato di Torino, “Soprintendenza speciale al museo delle Antichità egizie di Torino, Terzo versamento, Archivio tecnico, mazzo 2, fascicolo 13, Appunti a matita dello scavo”, p. 31.

Archival sources

Very important sources on the architecture and topographical layout of Pathyris are archival documents, namely the field journal (Notebook with sketches) and photographs from the Italian excavations conducted at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Notebook with sketches, long believed to have been lost, was found by the head of the Gebelein Archaeological Project, Wojciech Ejsmond, in the State Archives of Turin. It consists of 131 pages written with a pencil, in Italian, presenting the results of archaeological works in the town of Pathyris. The first 62 pages contain drawings and descriptions of excavated architectural structures together with detailed measurements of the preserved walls – the plans contain information about the dimensions of individual rooms, as well as wall thicknesses, placement of stairs, stoves, etc. Next is a description of a fortress (pp. 63–90), with information on its external walls and some internal structures supplemented with very schematic drawings. The last part is an inventory (pp. 91–131) listing the crates with artefacts prepared for transport to Cairo and further to Turin. Descriptions of architectural remains are scattered throughout the Notebook, often as annotations on drawings. The field journal will be read and translated into English by the PI.

Currently, the Notebook with sketches is preserved in the State Archives of Turin and is available online at the following address:

https://archiviodistatotorino.beniculturali.it/dbadd/egizio_n.php?id=4439&v=3&m=2&f=13

The archival photographs from the Italian excavations show houses in the town, sometimes preserved up to 2–3 meters above the ground, and will be described and embedded in the topographic context of the site.

The archival photographs are available online at the following address:

https://archiviofotografico.museoegizio.it/it/archivio/gebelein/collina-sud

Another important archival source is the Manuscript Inventory, which lists the artefacts excavated at Gebelein and later sent to Turin. It offers valuable information about the objects uncovered during the 1910 season, the materials they were made from, and, in some cases, their findspots and archaeological contexts.

Currently, the Manuscript Inventory is preserved in the State Archives of Turin and is available online at the following address:

https://archiviodistatotorino.beniculturali.it/dbadd/egizio_n.php?id=3329&v=2&m=2&f=17