Under the direction of Dr. David O'Connor, Mr Stephen Harvey will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Working at the site of Abydos in Southern Egypt, he will examine the large funerary cult complex established by the pharaoh Ahmose to determine how it developed and changed over time. The underlying goal of the work is to examine the economic and political relationships between a state level of government and and local level communities and to understand how state level goals are translated and adapted to often different local needs. It is known from recovered texts that Ahmose originally established a cult complex at Abydos to commemorate himself and his lineage. During the ca. 300 year course of its history, the function and direction of the complex was dramatically redirected towards more local ends. Mr. Harvey will conduct a three stage field project. He will first survey portions of the site which have not yet been carefully examined. This is possible because remains of structures are still visible. He will then collect surface ceramics and use these to date different areas and structures. On the basis of this information he will carry out controlled excavations. These data should allow him to examine how the nature of the site changed over time and gain insight into the underlying social processes responsible. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed light on the long term relationships between state authorities and local communities. Finally it will assing in the training of a promising scientist.
