Book Launch of Unearthing Alexandria’s Archaeology: the Italian Contribution
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The Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies in the BA, together with Archaeopress, launched an English book entitled Unearthing Alexandria’s Archaeology: the Italian Contribution, by Mohamed Kenawi and Giorgia Marchiori. The book documents the works of the earliest Italian archaeological expeditions, and offers a detailed description of the historical excavations in Alexandria through rare photos which are showcased for the first time, and which have been gathered from several archives in Egypt and Italy.
The book also refers to the fact that a few studies have been conducted on the Italian influence in Alexandria in the fields of archaeology and Egyptology at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in spite of the abundance in scientific production that tackled the Italian influence in the fields of architecture, publishing and economy. In addition to the studies and exploration, the Graeco-Roman Museum, the second largest museum in Egypt, was established in 1893 as a result of the Italian interest in Alexandria, as well as the Archaeological Society of Alexandria, the first official civil society institution in Alexandria.
The book comes in eight chapters. The first chapter focuses on the leading figures in archaeology in Alexandria, while the ensuing chapters are devoted to the expeditions in El-Hadara, El-Chatby, El-Anfoushy, Kom El- Shoqafa, the Serapeum and Kom EL-Deka.