The largest site from the Pre- and Protodynastic period (3800-3100 B.C.), Hierakonpolis the City of the Hawk is the most important site for understanding the foundations of Egyptian civilization. Here, nearly 400 miles south of Cairo, archaeological investigation over the past century has confirmed this vast site's central role in the transition from prehistory to history.

This season we are running a small field school, with Egyptian and American students, the latter from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We'll be excavating more of the breweries and possibly doing some experimental beer making! After that, we hope to check in on the elite cemetery and the Fort.

From the Field:

Hierakonpolis 2009
March-August 2009
Field Note 1 | Field Note 2 | Field Note 3

Hierakonpolis 2008
April 2008-January 2009
Field Note 1 | Field Note 2

Hierakonpolis 2007
December 2006-November 2007
Field Note 1 | Field Note 2 | Field Note 3 | Field Note 4 | Field Note 5 | Field Note 6

Hierakonpolis 2006
January-August 2006
The Fort | Adventures Underground | Decorated Tombs

Fixing the Fort
December 2004-April 2005
Follow our stabilization and repair of King Khasekhemwy's Ceremonial Enclosure.
Intro | Part 1: Week 1 | Part 1: Week 2 | Part 1: Week 3 | Part 2

Nubians at Hierakonpolis
January-May 2004
What will we find as we investigate the Nubian cemetery?
Intro | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5a | Week 5b

Special Report: New Finds from the Elite Cemetery, by Mark Rose (April 22, 2005)

The Elite Cemetery
February-March 2003
When we heard about looting activites at the cemetery, we launched rescue excavations.
Intro | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

Narmer's Temple
November-December 2002
We renewed excavations at the temple, hoping to reveal more about the very dawn of Egyptian civilization.
Intro | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

Beyond the Trenches:

Staff Profiles
Meet the international crew of the 2002-2009 Hierakonpolis Expedition.

A Wing and a Prayer
A falcon was our houseguest convalescing after a nasty encounter with the high-tension electrical wires.

What's for Dinner?
Our cook Ali shares some of his secret recipes!

Thanksgiving
We take over the kitchen and prepare a feast.

Weird Animals
Taking a second look at baboons found in earlier years

Nubian Pottery
Exploring evidence for interaction between the Nubian A-Group and predynastic Egypt

Want to dig? Check the AIA's Annual Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin for ongoing excavations worldwide!