With this volume of Études and Travaux we would like to present the Centre for the Research on the Egyptian Temple, established at our Institute in 2016, to our colleagues and friends – partners in scientific discussions. The multi-generation team of the Centre consists of researchers connected with the Polish missions working at Temples of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III at Deir el-Bahari, the Temple of Thutmose I and the small Ramesside temple, both at Qurna, the French mission at Karnak and its studies on the Late period temples, the German and the Swiss missions on Elephantine examining relics of e.g. Ptolemaic-Roman temples, and, starting from 2020, the Italian-Polish mission researching solar temples at Abu Ghurob. This diversity of interests is an important inspiration in undertaking scientific initiatives leading to expansion and confrontation of areas of research and displaying a wide variety in terms of chronology and topography

Laskowska-Kusztal, Ewa

English

Akademicka Platforma Czasopism

DOI: 10.12775/EtudTrav.33.001EditorialWith this volume of Études and Travaux we would like to present the Centre for the Research on the Egyptian Temple, established at our Institute in 2016, to our colleagues and friends – partners in scientifi c discussions. The multi-generation team of the Centre consists of researchers connected with the Polish missions working at Temples of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III at Deir el-Bahari, the Temple of Thutmose I and the small Ramesside temple, both at Qurna, the French mission at Karnak and its studies on the Late period temples, the German and the Swiss missions on Elephantine examining relics of e.g. Ptolemaic-Roman temples, and, starting from 2020, the Italian-Polish mission researching solar temples at Abu Ghurob. This diversity of interests is an important inspiration in undertaking scien-tifi c initiatives leading to expansion and confrontation of areas of research and displaying a wide variety in terms of chronology and topography.1In addition to that, this volume, which also contains contributions from our colleagues interested in the scientifi c profi le of our Centre, should commemorate the tradition of Polish research on the Egyptian temple, initiated, like almost everything in the Polish history of Mediterranean archaeology, by professor Kazimierz Michałowski. It started with archaeological exploration, together with reconstruction and conservation at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, launched in 1961 in cooperation with the Egyptian Antiquities Service. The commitment to exploration of the Temple of Hatshepsut meant that Polish researchers joined the international group of scholars working at Egyptian reli-gious complexes and became involved in direct collaboration with archaeological missions working at Thebes. Michałowski’s idea to begin research in Egypt in cooperation with several Polish scientifi c institutions, above all the University of Warsaw, Polish Academy of Sciences and National Museum in Warsaw, ensured the participation of scholars repre-senting a wide range of specialisations in the mission at Deir el-Bahari.The Egyptologists, archaeologists and architects who were entrusted with the task of examination, reconstruction and conservation of the Temple of Hatshepsut faced a new 1 The Centre for the Research on the Egyptian Temple, headed by Dr Jadwiga Iwaszczuk, is now the biggest scientifi c group of Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences. It employs thirteen researchers. The Centre is also involved in providing specialist training in modern techniques of graphic documentation as well as supervision of PhD projects and grants.8 Escientifi c challenge as early as 1962, when the Temple of Thutmose III, previously known only from Egyptian written sources, was discovered unexpectedly. This generated the necessity to design a new project of exploration of the newly found temple, reconstruction of its layout and reconstruction of its walls, which would take years.2The series Deir el-Bahari, still published by the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures PAS (IMOC PAS, formerly Research Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology PAS), was launched to present publications resulting from these two projects. Reports from successive campaigns were brought out in the chronicle of excavations published in the foreign-language journal Études et Travaux, released by IMOC PAS since 1966.3Considering the several decades of work at Deir el-Bahari, we should now be able to look from the right perspective at the chronology of the research conducted at both temples as well as the regularity of release of corresponding publications. At the same time, we should notice their correlation with the reconstruction process and diligence required for such work. In 1968 the Temple of Hatshepsut became the place of work of a specialised team of architects, engineers and conservators employed by a Polish company of international renown, which dealt with restoration of monuments (Pracownie Konserwacji Zabytków / The Ateliers for Conservation of Cultural Property). Their cooperation with Egyptologists preparing projects of reconstruction of successive parts of the temple is refl ected by a long list of publications presenting the discussion which was underway at that time. Comments on this discussion, together with references to these papers, can be found in a monograph on the ritual topog-raphy of West Thebes under queen Hatshepsut, written by Jadwiga Iwaszczuk.4 The recon-struction and conservation, as well as archaeological work at the temple are continued by the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Mission organised by PCMA UW.5 In the initial phase of reconstruction work the publication of research oriented towards reconstruction of the decoration programme and understanding of the theology of the structure was limited to articles, reports and conference speeches. As a consequence of the reconstruction work in progress, which prevented the closure of studies with fi nal publications, the fi rst monographs on the temple of queen Hatshepsut released in series Deir el-Bahari, written by Ewa Laskowska-Kusztal and Włodzimierz God lewski, discussed structures that functioned at the temple in more recent periods of Egyptian history.6 A similar schedule of work was implemented at the Temple of Thutmose III, preserved in a much worse condition than the Temple of Hatshepsut and thus requiring a much more 2 Concessions for research at the Temples of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III were affi  liated at the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology in Cairo, commonly called Station (currently the Polish Centre for Medi-terranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw / PCMA UW), which is still in charge of the mission at Deir el-Bahari. The research project at the Temple of Thutmose I at Gurna was formerly managed by PCMA UW, however, the work will be continued by IMOC PAS.3 Reports of the Deir el-Bahari mission have been published in PCMA UW’s journal Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean since 1991. The journal was fi rst released in 1990.4 Iwaszczuk 2016: 49–132.5 The joint website of PCMA UW and IMOC PAS, debprojects.uw.edu.pl, presents the mission and publica-tions of the site.6 Laskowska-Kusztal 1984; Godlewski 1986. E  9laborious reconstruction process, since it was compiled mostly from very small fragments. The fi rst monographs on this temple, written by Marek Marciniak and Jadwiga Lipińska and published in series Deir el-Bahari, did not raise the subjects connected with progress in the reconstruction but rather other issues, such as hieratic graffi  ti left by pilgrims, architectural form of the temple, presentation of portable artefacts unearthed within its boundaries.7 Only after years of reconstruction, when these projects were quite advanced or even completed, did work on monographs presenting diff erent functional parts of both temples begin. We should mention the publication of the Solar Complex, penned by Janusz Karkowski, and the publication of selected portions of the Chapel of Hathor, authored by Nathalie Beaux.8 The Centre greatly committed to the new projects aimed at description of the recon-structed decoration programme of diff erent parts of the temples, its interpretation from diff erent angles and then preparation of monographs. These publications were released in series Deir el-Bahari, starting from volume VII, devoted to a diachronic analysis of off ering scenes from the Chapel of Hatshepsut at the Temple of Hatshepsut, which belongs to the Complex of the Royal Cult.9 The research project of Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczyńska, conducted at the Centre and funded by the National Science Centre (NSC), Poland, also involved preparation of publication of these portions of decoration, which will be a part of a comprehensive volume discussing the Chapel of Hatshepsut.10 Another expected contribution of the Centre to the research on the theology of the Complex of the Royal Cult at the Temple of Hatshepsut is connected with work on the publication of the court-yard which belongs to this Complex, started in 2019. This is the objective of another NSC grant, headed by Adrianna Madej and affi  liated at the Institute.11 Ewa Józefowicz’s grant, which was included in the research plan of the Centre in 2018, involved studies of the Obelisks Portico – Southern Lower Portico, which is one of the most frequently mentioned and discussed parts of the temple of queen Hatshepsut.12 Studies on the Southern Room of Amun conducted by Katarzyna Kapiec, as well as preparation of the publication, are in the fi nal phase. This work is also funded by an NSC grant.13 Egyptologist circles will also appreciate the information that the work of the Centre includes preparation of a monographregarding the Southern Middle Portico (Punt Portico), which has been discussed by genera-tions of scholars. Its release was preceded with a work on expeditions to Punt during the 7 Marciniak 1974; Lipińska 1977; 1984.8 Karkowski 2003; Beaux 2012; see also: Beaux, Grimal, Pollin 2012; Beaux et al. 2012.9 Stupko-Lubczyńska 2016. 10 Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczyńska, Off ering scenes in the Complex of the Royal Cult in the Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari (Egypt), project Sonata 3, no. 2012/05/D/HS3/03680, 2013–2017. This volume will be released by PCMA UW.11 Adrianna Madej, The courtyard of the Complex of the Royal Cult at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari in ritual and ideological dimensions, project Preludium 15, no. 2018/29/N/HS3/02625, 2019–2022.12 Ewa Józefowicz, The Western Wall of the Portico of Obelisks of Hatshepsut’s Temple in Deir el-Bahari in historical, ideological and ritual dimensions, project Preludium 13, no. 2017/25/N/HS3/02895, 2018–2022.13 Katarzyna Kapiec, Southern Room of Amun in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari – elaboration and preparation for publication, project Preludium 10, no. 2015/19/N/HS3/02153, 2016–2021.10 EEighteenth Dynasty, written by Filip Taterka as a doctoral dissertation, as well as Institute’s publication of a book on this subject in Polish.14 It should be expected that the research by Iwaszczuk on the decoration of the northern part of the east wall of the Upper Terrace, connected with the feast of Djeser-djeseru, will be an important element in the continuing discussion about Theban festivals. The results change the previously proposed interpretation of the Beautiful Feast of the Valley. Their presentation will begin with a volume released in the Deir el-Bahari series, regarding the history of the research and description of the decoration programme in this portion of the temple.15 The activity of the Centre should also include the fi nalisation of work on the publication of Anubis Shrines, defi nitely expected by scholars studying this fi eld. It will be based on an often cited and shared doctoral dissertation, written by Maciej G. Witkowski.16  Another project of great signifi cance initiated by the Centre, entitled ‘Modern docu-mentation in the research of the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Mission at the Hatshepsut Temple in Deir el-Bahari (Egypt): creation, management, sharing’, will be helpful for generations of scholars. This project, funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, was headed by Iwaszczuk and its objective was to compile and process documentation from the research conducted by the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological-Conservation Mission at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, as well as provide online access to it.17 Various activities connected with the project included laser scanning, ortho-photo scanning, photography and drawing. Another initiative of the whole circle of scholars of this scientifi c fi eld is the project of hatshepsut.pl database. This project, started at the Institute in 2013 and continued by the Centre, delivers a tool for the international group of scholars interested in ancient Egypt. Its aim is to catalogue and provide online access to all published information connected with the reign of this ruler, including sources from areas outside Thebes. The data collected for this project are now transferred to a new website: hatshepsut.iksiopan.pl. The commitment of the Centre to development and completion of long-term research programmes associated with temples at Deir el-Bahari also involves studies, reconstruction and publication of the Temple of Thutmose III. The result of this work is a publication by Monika Dolińska, discussing the rooms connected with the royal cult at the Temple of Thutmose III, currently prepared for release.18 Another signifi cant area of research conducted by the Centre is our work on the mortuary temple of the queen’s father – Thutmose I, conducted by Iwaszczuk in collaboration with 14 Taterka 2018; 2020.15 Iwaszczuk, J. (in preparation): Beautiful Feast of Djeser-djeseru. Part 1. North wing of the east wall of the Upper Courtyard of the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, Deir el-Bahari, Warsaw.16 Witkowski, M.G. (in preparation): Les Chapelles d’Anubis dans le Temple de la Reine Hatshepsout à Deir el-Bahari: Fasc. 1. La Chapelle Haute, Deir el-Bahari, Warsaw.17 Modern documentation in the research of the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Mission at the Hatshepsut Temple in Deir el-Bahari (Egypt): creation, management, sharing, project Dialog, no. 088/DLG/2017/10, 2017–2019. 18 Dolińska, M. (in preparation): The temple of Thutmose III at Deir el-Bahari. Vol. I: Rooms connected to the royal cult (D, G and H), Deir el-Bahari, Warsaw. E  11Kapiec. The temple called Khenemet-ankh was previously known only from Egyptian written sources. These studies are an important element of the activity of Polish archae-ologists at Thebes and at the same time evidence showing the wide range of subjects for studies connected with Hatshepsut’s epoch. The project affi  liated at the Centre, which aims to study this edifi ce, discovered by Abu el Yun Barakat years ago, made it possible to conclusively identify its relics and start work on reconstruction of its architecture and decoration programme. This project will be completed with a publication of preserved materials from this building.19 The wide range of subjects researched by the team of the Centre, with temples at Deir el-Bahari remaining under concession held by PCMA UW as the source base, is supple-mented with projects focussing on religious buildings representing other locations and chronology. One of these projects is based on the eastern bank of Thebes and researches a small temple of Osiris Neb-ankh, erected during the Twenty-fi fth Dynasty. This study, funded by the NSC is conducted by Aleksandra Hallmann in cooperation with l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire.20 Laskowska-Kusztal studies Ptolemaic-Roman temples in the region of the First Cataract (Elephantine, Kalabsha) with the German Archae-ological Institute Cairo as the research partner and the Swiss Institute for Architectural and Archaeological Research on Ancient Egypt as another collaborator.21 Further expansion of the research base of the Centre, which will involve studies on the Old Kingdom, will be supported by the NSC project affi  liated at the Institute, regarding solar temples at Abu Ghurob and conducted by Massimiliano Nuzzolo.22 Finally, it should be mentioned that the most signifi cant scientifi c project initiated in 2018, contributing to all subjects researched at the Centre and also addressed to the inter-national group of scholars, is a currently prepared database in English, regarding Egyptian temple rituals: rite.iksiopan.pl, which should complement the highly appreciated database SERaT created by Horst Beinlich and Jochen Hallof.23 This planned catalogue will be a valuable tool for comprehensive comparative studies on iconography of the rituals, their sequence and accessories used to perform them. Apart from that, it will be a base of material for reconstruction and interpretation of decoration of buildings researched by the Centre.I wish to express my joy that Polish research on the Egyptian temple has an institution-alised base and to thank all our colleagues who contributed to this volume, thus expressing their interest in our studies and showing recognition to our journal, Études et Travaux, which has published papers on the subject for more than 50 years.19 Iwaszczuk 2011: 22–25; 2012: 269–277.20 Aleksandra Hallmann, Iconographic program of the chapels of Osiris in Karnak: Kushite chapel of Osiris Neb-ankh, project Harmonia 8, no. 2016/22/M/HS3/00354, 2017–2022.21 The subject is researched within the project ‘Ptolemaic and Roman Temples of the First Cataract Region (Kalabsha, Elephantine)’.22 Massimiliano Nuzzolo, Sun Temples Project. Religious spaces, ideological patterns and social dynamics of constructing the sacred landscape in Third Millennium BC Egypt, project Sonata bis 9, no. 2019/34/E/HS3/00438, 2020–2024.23 Beinlich, Hallof 2007 and forthcoming.12 EI would also like to kindly ask our colleagues from the great family of researchers of Egyptian temples to look at this account of the Centre and its plans with a friendly eye, as well as accept our invitation to further cooperation.Ewa Laskowska-KusztalSubject editor of the volumeReferencesBeaux, N. 2012: La chapelle d’Hathor. Temple d’Hatchepsout à Deir el-Bahari I. Vestibule et sanctuaires, fasc. 1 : Texte, MIFAO 129/1, Le CaireBeaux, N., Grimal, N., Pollin, G. 2012: La chapelle d’Hathor. Temple d’Hatchepsout à Deir el-Bahari I. Vestibule et sanctuaires, fasc. 2 : Figures, MIFAO 129/2, Le CaireBeaux, N., Karkowski, J., Majerus, E., Pollin, G. 2012: La chapelle d’Hathor. Temple d’Hatchepsout à Deir el-Bahari I. Vestibule et sanctuaires, fasc. 3 : Planches, MIFAO 129/3, Le CaireBeinlich, H., Hallof, J. 2007: Einführung in das Würzburger Datenbanksystem SERaT, SRAT 1, DettelbachBeinlich, H., Hallof, J. forthcoming: Einführung in das Datenbanksystem SERaT, 2.0, SRAT 12Godlewski, W. 1986: Le monastère de st Phoibammon, Deir el-Bahari V, VarsovieIwaszczuk, J. 2011: Unique Temple of Thutmose I, Annual Reports PAN 2011, 22–25Iwaszczuk, J. 2012: The Temple of Tuthmosis I Rediscovered, PAM XXI, 269–277Iwaszczuk, J. 2016: Sacred landscape of Thebes during the reign of Hatshepsut. Royal construction projects. Volume 1. Topography of the West Bank, Travaux de l’Ins-titut des Cultures Méditerranéennes et Orientales de l’Académie Polonaise des Sciences 2, VarsovieKarkowski, J. 2003: The Temple of Hatshepsut: The Solar Complex, Deir el-Bahari VI, VarsovieLaskowska-Kusztal, E. 1984: La sanctuaire ptolémaïque de Deir el-Bahari, Deir el-Bahari III, VarsovieLipińska, J. 1977: The Temple of Tuthmosis III. Architecture, Deir el-Bahari II, VarsovieLipińska, J. 1984: The Temple of Tuthmosis III. Statuary and Votive Monuments, Deir el-Bahari IV, VarsovieMarciniak, M. 1974: Les inscriptions hiératiques du temple de Thoutmosis III, Deir el-Bahari I, VarsovieStupko-Lubczyńska, A. 2016: Off ering scenes in the Chapel of Hatshepsut. Diachronic Development of their Composition and Content, Deir el-Bahari VII, Warsaw E  13Taterka, F. 2018: Les expéditions au pays de Pount sous la XVIIIe dynastie égyptienne : Essai de compréhension du rôle idéologique des missions « commerciales », unpublished PhD thesis, Adam Mickiewicz University, PoznańTaterka, F. 2020: Przez morze do Ziemi Boga: Egipskie wyprawy do krainy Punt i ich znaczenie w religii i ideologii władzy kraju faraonów, Warszawa

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