The Delta Survey
The Delta Survey started as a personal project of Dr Jeffrey Spencer, plotting on a map of the Delta the locations of as many ancient mounds as could be identified, either from published sources or from personal visits. In 1997 the project was adopted by the Egypt Exploration Society and has since been published on our website. The online records of sites are continuously updated as new information becomes available and to date over 700 Delta tells are listed and described.
The EES Delta Survey aims to record as much information as possible on ancient sites in the Nile Delta which are under threat from encroaching agriculture and the demands of an ever-increasing population. In 2007 the Delta Survey was adopted by the British Academy as an ‘approved project’ and has also been recognised by inclusion in GoogleEarth’s Presentations and Link.
Since its foundation several major fieldwork projects have arisen out of the work of the Delta Survey. At Sais (Sa el-Hagar) a joint expedition of the EES and the University of Durham, directed by Dr Penny Wilson and funded by a major AHRC grant, has been excavating this ancient capital of Egypt, revealing material from the prehistoric to Roman periods and, more recently, in Minufiyeh Governorate an extended survey, still on-going, directed by Dr Joanne Rowland (University of Oxford) has expanded to include open excavation and a field school at the important site of Quesna.
Recent survey and limited excavation work in 2010 at the sites of Tell el Balamun and Yetwal have added new information to the Delta Survey's registry and photographs from this expedition can be seen below. A blog of this excavation and the more recent work at Yetwal and Tell el-Daba in 2011 can also be found here.
If you have additional information on any Delta site in the Survey, or any queries about the Survey, please contact Jeffrey Spencer here. The database and GoogleEarthTM content were both updated (see 'news' item) in July 2010.
Help us to continue our important mission in Egypt
Now we need your help to continue our valuable work in Egypt. The EES hopes to raise £30,000 as part of its Excavation Fund Appeal to help secure future fieldwork during the coming year and to help our Field Directors to plan for the future.
To support the Excavation Fund Appeal simply click here.