Name: SAIS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF A LOST — BUT FAMOUS — ROYAL CITY
Start: 2026-07-06T11:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-07-10T17:15:00+01:00
Location: University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom

$SAIS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF A LOST \u2014 BUT FAMOUS \u2014 ROYAL CITY$

Monday 6 to Friday 10 July (in person, livestreamed, and video recorded)
with Prof. Penny Wilson (Durham University)
This is a 5-day course to be held in person, livestreamed, and video recorded.
Sais (modern Sa el Hagar) was the capital city of Egypt in the Late Period (664 – 525 BCE), but the site has changed much over time and it is difficult to reconstruct its layout and form in the past. Sais was famed for its great temple to the goddess Neith and as a centre of ancient wisdom in classical sources — but what is the evidence for the historical and mythical reputation of the city? The course will collect and analyse information about for the city of Sais from regional survey and geological investigations, archaeological work, archival material, and objects from museum collections. The focus will be to recreate snapshots of ancient Sais and the lives of its people from its beginnings around 4000 BCE to the modern day. The framework will enable a comparison with other ‘lost’ ancient Egyptian cities so they, too, can be rediscovered.