Welcome

Welcome to the website of the Luxor Archaeological Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at providing financial support for the TT45 Project of the Leiden University Mission to the Theban Necropolis. The team is directed by Dr. Carina van den Hoven and undertakes fieldwork in and around Theban Tomb 45 (TT45) at Sheikh ʿAbd el-Qurna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the west bank of the Nile, opposite modern Luxor.

Theban Tomb 45 is a fascinating case of tomb reuse, in which the original wall decoration (Amenhotep II, ca. 1400 BCE) was partially retouched and repainted by the second tomb owner during the Ramesside period, in order to update the paintings to Ramesside style and (personal) taste. The fieldwork project takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of Theban Tomb 45 and its surrounding environment, by integrating knowledge and techniques from a wide range of fields, including Egyptology, archaeology, conservation, restoration, digital humanities, art history, geology and hydrology, ceramology, physical anthropology, risk management, etc. Important aims of the project are to develop a proof of concept on the (digital) documentation and material analysis of the painted decoration of the tomb, and to contribute significantly to the development and application of non-invasive digital technologies to the documentation, publication and accessibility of ancient material culture. Another important aim of the project is to carry out a risk management programme for the tomb and its surrounding environment, especially in regard to protecting the tomb and nearby other monuments against flash fooding. The project also provides training opportunities to young local conservators, egyptologists, and archaeologists.

The fieldwork project is funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung. A special pilot project on the application of digital technologies is sponsored by the Netherlands Institute for the Near East (Leiden University), and the Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities. We closely cooperate with our colleagues of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and of the Luxor and Qurna Inspectorates of Antiquities in studying and preserving Egypt’s cultural heritage, and we thank them for their advice, support and assistance. We also thank our colleagues at the Department of Egyptology, Leiden University and at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo for their administrative and logistic support.

Support the project

If you wish to support the project and join us in preserving Egypt's heritage for future generations, make a donation or become a sponsor!