HELWAN: Egyptologists continue to converge on Egypt in order to continue excavating one of the most important archaeological sites in recent years. The Helwan necropolis, 15 miles south of Cairo, is home to over 10,000 tombs that date from pre-dynasty Egypt to the third dynasty (5000 years ago). Like many urban digs in Egypt, Helwan is also home to thousands of Egyptians. As villagers continue to flock to Cairo to look for work, places like Helwan are becoming flooded with more people than they can properly find housing. Similar to the City of Dead in overpopulation and poverty, Helwan residents are concentrated in a small area that gives families’ limited space for their tiny homes. This makes it difficult for archaeologists to maneuver the area at times. Helwan necropolis by LIFE Magazine Helwan is anything but a beautiful suburb. If anything, the dusty, narrow and unpaved streets of Helwan make it a place not often visited by foreigners. Helwan is a place that many migrants have made home over the years. Here, you find families crammed in small spaces with little money and little hope for a better life. Most of the residents work in Cairo during the day and return to Helwan only for sleep. Luckily, there is decent public transportation that can bring them to central Cairo with ease. The people work for wages of only a dollar or two per day, if that. According to Dr. Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist and professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, Helwan is the flagship site in Lower Egypt. “It is one of the most important sites in the north due to the necropolis’ sheer size,†Dr. Ikram adds. Lower Egypt is the northern part of Egypt stretching from Cairo to Alexandria. Under the direction of the Australian Centre for Egyptology at Sydney’s Macquarie University, teams of archaeologists have unearthed thousands of tombs over the years at Helwan. Egyptologists believe that the over 10,000 tombs at Helwan is the true necropolis of Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Directly in front of the cemetery of Saqqara, the Helwan necropolis is home to the tombs of common people and a few elite patrons. While most tombs belong to common citizens, some tombs indicate a status almost equal to the high officials buried at Saqqara. Dr. Ikram, a specialist in burial practices, says that the tombs give insight into who is buried. “The owners of the larger and better equipped tombs were probably part of the administration of Memphis, derived from elite families, some possibly originating from the north of Egypt.†One tomb was simply a hole, less than one cubic meter, in which a man was buried holding a piece of bread. Last year’s excavation saw 20 new tombs discovered, which gave insight into the transition period in Egypt when kings began to take over from village chiefs, developing a complex society. This eventually turned into the dynastic system in which Pharaoh was king of Ancient Egypt that most people are familiar with. “In terms of mortuary archaeology it is very interesting as social differentiation can be tracked by size and complexity of tombs,†Dr. Ikram explains. “Some have stelae, which are very important as they name and provide information about the deceased,†she continues. “The activity at this site shows the well established government in lower Egypt at this time.†Helwan is the largest and most significant archaeological site from what is referred to as the earliest historical period. It is believed that with more excavations and study, this site could reveal much concerning the transformation of ancient societies from villages to kingdoms. “We expect to find more tombs this excavation period,†Dr. Ikram says. Many Egyptologists feel this site is vital in understanding the change in human development of our ancient past, from more rural beginnings to the early urbanization that occurred. There was also shock at the health of the individuals uncovered. Surprisingly, even the poor buried at Helwan are in superb health, according to Anthropologists working in Helwan. This discovery has led many to argue that Egypt at this time was more advanced than previously thought. However, there is great concern about the destruction that is continuing to take the site away from Egyptologists. A military base surrounds the site along with increasing high-rise construction and illegal shantytowns that encroach the excavation. The area once covered 100 hectares but today that area has been reduced by almost half and it continues to shrink in the face of more development projects. Egyptologists are working against time in their work, as fear that this site may soon disappear is a constant threat to the important work being done in Helwan. The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) is doing its best to stop the builders from expanding near the necropolis. According to Dr. Ikram, the SCA is doing a good job of stopping construction around the tombs, but if the land is not owned by the SCA it is difficult. “Other government departments are not as concerned by the loss of Egypt’s heritage,†Dr. Ikram says. This makes it extremely hard to put pressure on builders. It is unclear whether the government is going to act in order to stop the destruction of the ancient site. “Perhaps a public outcry in Egypt would help stop the destruction,†Dr. Ikram believes. BM
