AIGYPTOS INSTITUTE C/O EPACRIA CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC

IN 2025, AIGYPTOS SUPPORTED WORK AT THE SITE OF HERMOPOLIS MAGNA BY APPROXIMATELY 45 ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND OTHER SPECIALISTS REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN AND EGYPTIAN SIDES OF THE TEAM AND EMPLOYED APPROXIMATELY 40 LOCAL WORKMEN. WORK WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY AT THE "SPHINX GATE" AREA, AS WELL AS AT THE TEMPLE OF RAMSES II/NERO IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA, AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICA IN THE CITY CENTER. AT THE SPHINX GATE AREA THE TEAM BEGAN TO UNCOVER A 5TH CENTURY CE LAYER WHICH WE HOPE WILL HELP CONTEXTUALIZE HOW THE 5TH CENTURY EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICA AFFECTED THE CITY CENTER. AT THE TEMPLE OF RAMSES II/NERO THE TEAM UNCOVERED THE MISSING TOP HALF OF THE EASTERN COLOSSAL STATUE OF RAMSES II. THIS WAS A DISCOVERY THAT MADE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES, AS IT WILL HELP SCHOLARS UNDERSTAND THE ACTIVITY OF ONE OF EGYPT'S MOST FAMOUS PHARAOH'S WITHIN THE MIDDLE OF HIS COUNTRY. THIS DISCOVERY WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO PRESERVE, JOIN, AND STABILIZE THIS STATUE. IT ALSO SHOWS THE POTENTIAL OF EXCAVATING FURTHER IN THIS AREA. AT THE EARLY CHRISTIAN BASILICA, THE TEAM DISMANTLED THE ENORMOUS TRIPYLON GATE AND EXCAVATED ITS FOUNDATION. THIS WAS REQUIRED BY THE EGYPTIAN MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES AS A JOINT ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CONSERVATION EFFORT. BEFORE OUR WORK, PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT STABILIZING THIS MONUMENT WERE FAILING AS THE 7 M HIGH RED GRANITE COLUMNS WERE TILTING DANGEROUSLY. IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING THE STABILITY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS AND MAKING THE SITE SAFE FOR VISITORS, THIS WORK EXPOSED UPWARDS OF 900 ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN REUSED IN THE GATE'S FOUNDATION. THESE COME FROM PROMINENT BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY INCLUDING THE TEMPLE OF RAMSES II/NERO AND THEIR STUDY WILL HELP SCHOLARS UNDERSTAND 1) THE ARCHITECTURE OF SEVERAL PERIODS AT THIS SITE AND 2) HOW THESE BUILDINGS WERE DISMANTLED AND REUSED IN THE 5TH CENTURY CE AS THE PAGAN TEMPLES WERE FINALLY CLOSED.