Experiencing Egypt

The generosity of an anonymous Roanoke College donor enabled two students to travel to Elephantine Island, Egypt, for five weeks last year. Roanoke College art history majors Serena Soterakopoulos '18 and Jacob Friedrich '19 dove into the rich archaeological history of Elephantine Island while exploring the current vibrancy of the Egyptian culture.

Soterakopoulos and Friedrich are ceramic research assistants for Dr. Leslie Anne Warden, assistant professor of art history and archaeology. Normally, they conduct their research-primarily the analysis of ceramic material procured from various Egyptian archeological sites-on campus.  

The two students assisted on the "Realities of Life" archaeological project, which is run by the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo, under the direction of Dr. Johanna Sigl. The project studies an ancient Egyptian settlement on the southeastern portion of the island, located in the middle of the Nile River.  

Soterakopoulos and Friedrich worked with Warden, the project's head ceramicist, to process ceramic material that had been excavated during a previous season. In a joint report about their experience, the students said "everyday objects, such as pottery, can tell us about daily activities and cultural influences, thus better explaining the life of an everyday ancient Egyptian from Elephantine."  

Through their work at the site and their experience seeing modern Egypt, the student archeologists said they discovered "an unavoidable link between ancient and modern times that can be seen through pottery and the island itself." They had a "plethora" of ceramic material to work with that gave them insight into how ancient Egyptian society functioned. By analyzing a wide range of vessels and forms, such as cooking pots, jars, bowls, platters, and bread moulds, they were able to differentiate across different time periods, locations, and uses.

Warden said her students' important work "helped forward an understanding of the ceramics and their reflection of daily life and activity in Middle Kingdom homes on the island." Warden will be returning to a different site in Egypt this year and she hopes to interest her younger students in joining her on an annual basis.

The anonymous donor who sponsored the travel was inspired to do so by personal experience at a foreign university as a student.  

"The experience was eye-opening, mind-broadening and fulfilling," the donor said. "Even at the airport terminal I was overcome with the new sights, sounds and 'foreign' people...Trips away from home base broadened the experience and filled me with wonder at the diversity of the world. I returned home a new and enlightened person."  

Soterakopoulos and Friedrich expressed their gratitude for their donor's kindness and for those involved in the "Realities of Life" project. "It was an incredible experience to dive deep into the traces of the past," they wrote, "especially when we realized that the past and present of Egypt are tangled together in such remarkable ways."