The Theban Mapping Project had its beginnings in 1978. Its aim is to develop and build a database of all of the archaeological artefacts of Thebes. Many artefacts were damaged by treasure hunters and inexact excavations in years past and the team of the TMP have been energetically working to catalogue, illustrate and map the ancient heritage of the area before any further damage is inadvertantly caused by climate, tourism or exposure.

As they point out on their web site they believe “that the first and most essential step in preserving this heritage is a detailed map and database of every archaeological, geological, and ethnographic feature in Thebes. Only when these are available can sensible plans be made for tourism, conservation, and further study.”

The team has created a superb web site which has been constantly evoloving as additional maps, images and details are added to the database. It is enriched with video, photographs, interactive maps and dynamic 3D imagery of the tombs. Even a quick exploration of the tomb of Ramesses II and the tomb that he built for his sons is sufficient to reveal how rich this resource is for students of Egyptian history.

The web site also features links to articles, a bibliography, timelines and a glossary. I believe it is one of the richest resourecs for this epoch of Egyptian history. It places the artefacts in a situated context strengthening their value for students of ancient Egyptian history.