This year we are especially grateful to our members who’ve given us the opportunity to continue our work throughout this challenging year. Thanks to their support we were able to adapt to changing conditions and continue to search for clues to the development of Egyptian civilization and help to preserve Egypt’s heritage for the future.

• While our spring excavation season was cut short, we were able to explore the Menkaure Valley Temple‘s (MVT) foundations and finish excavating its southwestern side.
• We documented and helped conserve the remains of the Great Pyramid Temple and are improving the visitor experience at this important but often overlooked site.
• We are finishing work on the Objects Publication Project documenting the everyday items used by the people who constructed the Giza pyramids.
• We published the beautifully illustrated and researched Treasures from the Lost City of Memphis museum catalog, which we’ve made freely available to download.
• Dr. Mark Lehner was able to share our work with AERA members and others in an online lecture on The People Who Built the Pyramids.

Looking Forward to 2021: From Discovery in the Field to Publication

While we’re grateful for the work we were able to get done this year, like everyone we hope for the chance to do even more in the upcoming year. Our 2021 plans include:

• the grand opening of the Great Pyramid Temple’s new visitor walking route,
• the publication of Dr. Lehner’s definitive work on the Sphinx and a new book documenting our work at the Heit el-Ghurab (HeG) and Khentkawes Town sites,
• returning to the Menkaure Valley Temple to begin excavating the storage rooms in the northwest, an area of the site unseen since Reisner’s work over 100 years ago,
• a remote sensing project to “see” what is underneath the soccer field that has overlain the southeastern corner of the HeG site since its discovery, followed by removal of the modern buildings and targeted excavations of the area.

We hope you will continue to follow our work and we look forward to sharing new discoveries with you in 2021. We are truly grateful to everyone who helps make our research possible. We hope you will become a member or make a donation and help us continue our work in Egypt.

Sincerely,

Mark Lehner
President, Ancient Egypt Research Associates

AERA members will receive information on our 2020 & 2021 excavation seasons in our AERAgram newsletters. Become an AERA member to receive your copy, enjoy all of our member benefits, and help support our work in Egypt!