THE ALEXANDRIAN NECROPOLIS PROJECT
EGYPT, 2023, 20’24’’
Director – Producer: KyriakosSavvopoulos
The video documentary offers a summary of “The Alexandrian Necropolis Project: the Hellenistic Cemetery of Shatby in Alexandria (2020-2023)”, held by the Archaeological Society of Alexandria (est. 1893). It was projected in the official opening ceremony of the site (8/5/2023), in presence of Greek, Egyptian and Cypriot state representatives, in addition to delegates of several countries.
In 2020, the Archaeological Society of Alexandria (est. 1892) initiated a multi-tasking project, aiming to revisit the impressive but heavily deteriorated Hellenistic cemetery of Shatby, the most ancient site of Alexandria (in use since the end of 4th c. BCE). The project included: 1) the maintenance and restoration of the site of Shatby; 2) the consolidation of the archaeological investigation, which had remained unfinished; 3) the protection of the site from the future invasion of soil and water; 4) the upgrading of all modern installations; 5) the digital documentation of the site (production of 3D model) and the production of an up-to-date study. The project team comprises scholars and field archaeologists from Egypt, Cyprus, Oxford and Greece (University of Athens). It was sponsored by the A. G. Leventis Foundation.
During the excavation process, there were several discoveries, including uncovering the original monumental entrance to the main burial complex (Hypogeum A) and more than 300 finds (human remains, pottery, coinage and glassware). Meanwhile, the project has completed 1) the restoration and conservation of the ancient remains, 2) the construction of screen walls and drainage system for protecting the ancient underground structures, 3) the construction of a Visitors Centre for displaying media and information, 4) the creation of a labelled walkway around the site and the renovation of all modern structures. The official opening of the renovated and restored archaeological site took place on 8th May 2023.
