Egyptian Tombs as Objects: The Thebian Mapping Project

Have you ever wondered what the inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb looks like? If so, you need you check out the Thebian Mapping Project web site at http://www.thebanmappingproject.com.

Thebes is the ancient name for modern-day Luxor (Al Uqsur in local and Google terms) which sits on the east bank of the Nile River far south of Cairo. Nearby sprawl the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. The Thebian Mapping Project web site lets you journey there not only through the lens of scholarly expertise, but with views and maps of the various tombs that give you a sense of the place no other web site has mastered. 

In the “About” section of the web site, you’ll find a brief introduction and explanation of the project as it was conceived by Dr. Kent Weeks and his artist wife Susan Weeks. “Since its inception in 1978, the Theban Mapping Project (TMP, now based at the American University in Cairo) has been working to prepare a comprehensive archaeological database of Thebes. With its thousands of tombs and temples, Thebes is one of the world’s most important archaeological zones.”

Their work opens our eyes not only to the wonders of these ancient tombs, but to the importance of working in league with governments and institutions to preserve them–and antiquities of all sorts. Exploring ancient funerary practices and religious centers can also help us open our minds and hearts to different ways of interacting with the world and the people and objects in it. 

The Thebian Mapping Project is a journey you won’t forget.