In 1998, WMF supported emergency conservation, documentation, clearance of the western portico of the great peristyle hall, and planning of a long-range conservation program. The implementation of conservation measures at the site began in 2004, and included the integration of a drainage system to alleviate groundwater and consolidate deteriorating stone. (...)
In 1998, WMF supported emergency conservation, documentation, clearance of the western portico of the great peristyle hall, and planning of a long-range conservation program. The implementation of conservation measures at the site began in 2004, and included the integration of a drainage system to alleviate groundwater and consolidate deteriorating stone. This allowed the statues and stelae to be reassembled and placed on stable soil in their original place.
In early 2013, archaeo-geological investigations around the bases of the colossi revealed artifacts buried under centuries of accumulated soil layers. A piece of the original right forearm of the north Memnon, as well as fragments of the sculpture’s pleated kilt, throne, and base, were all recovered. Investigations also revealed a considerable number of granite and quartzite remnants of sculptures of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. Conservators reclaimed from abroad a quartzite eye belonging to one of the statues in the portico, and reset it before sending the fragile sculpture to the nearby Luxor Museum of Art. In the northwestern corner of the court, foundations were poured and a plinth established to house a monumental statue of a white hippopotamus.
Work is currently underway to desalinate the architectural and sculptural remains, reassemble and raise the four colossal royal statues, and protect the two mud-brick pylons and their gateway. Fragments found in the excavated area of the second and third brick pylons will be documented and reassembled, and the installation of an additional local drainage system will facilitate the raising of the statues out of the Nile silt.
