Filippo Mi - Archives, Surveying, and Satellite Imagery in the Study of the Memphite Necropolis

This lecture will be hosted on Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 6:00 pm.

Saqqara has long been regarded as one of the best-documented archaeological sites in Egypt, second only to the Theban region in the scale of its published studies. Yet a substantial body of material produced during earlier excavations—photographs, drawings, plans, and field notes—never reached publication and remain preserved only in archives. These overlooked materials may contain important information that can refine our understanding of the site’s long history of occupation.

Building on an initial study of the Memphite necropolis in the first millennium BC, currently in press, this research takes a new direction by turning to the archival collections of the archaeologists who worked at Saqqara. The aim is to identify and reassess unpublished documents that shed light on aspects of the site that have remained unclear or poorly documented.

Drawing on material held in New York, Paris, Milan, and other institutions, this conference will present a selection of these previously unpublished sources and situate them within the framework of current research. The talk will review the state of knowledge on key monuments and dossiers and point to new avenues for investigation at a site that still holds considerable, and only partially explored, archaeological potential.

About the Speaker

Filippo Mi received his PhD in Egyptology from the University of Strasbourg in 2023 and his MA from Leiden University in 2018. He currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre d'Études Alexandrines. His interests span from the Middle Kingdom to the Graeco-Roman period, with a focus on ancient Egyptian urbanism, funerary and civil architecture.

Attention!

The lecture starts at 6 pm. The number of seats is limited and we work on a first-come, first-served basis. We open our doors at 5:30 and close them at 6:15 or earlier in case the lecture room reaches its full capacity.