Shandong Archaeology Overseas 丨 Unveiling the Mysteries of Ancient Civilizations: A Dialogue Between the Yellow River and the Nile
Along the banks of the Nile and its delta in Egypt, the sun blazes in a scorching, arid climate. Home to such archaeological landmarks as the Memphis archaeological site and the Luxor Temple complex, this region stands as the world’s epicenter of archaeology, drawing leading archaeological teams from across the globe.
During the first phase of excavations from October to December 2025, the China-Egypt Joint Archaeological Team—comprising Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University, and the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt—uncovered for the first time key evidence of the Temple of Ptah built by Pharaoh Apries of the 26th Dynasty of ancient Egypt at Tell Aziz, in the northern part of the Memphis archaeological site. Findings also indicate that a larger temple complex may exist in the surrounding area.
The ruins of the Temple of Apries, which had eluded researchers worldwide for a century, are finally emerging into the light thanks to the joint efforts of Chinese and Egyptian archaeologists!
“What an extraordinary surprise!” In its first overseas field archaeology project, Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has made a major discovery at one of the world’s most high-profile archaeological sites. In an interview, the archaeologists recounted their expedition to Egypt and how they brushed away thousands of years of sand along the Nile to uncover and restore ancient artifacts and ruins.
A Dream Journey
Stepping into the “Center of World Archaeology”
Egypt is one of the world’s richest countries in cultural heritage and a highly sought-after destination for leading archaeological teams from across the globe. At its peak, hundreds of international archaeological missions are active here at the same time.
In recent years, new archaeological discoveries in Egypt have continued to astound the world. A host of pharaonic tombs have been unearthed, ancient temples have been restored to their former glory, and more mysteries of this ancient civilization have been unveiled.
Securing an archaeological project in Egypt is a clear testament to archaeological strength. The China-Egypt joint archaeological project in Memphis was realized only after overcoming numerous hurdles and challenges, a true mark of perseverance and dedication.
As early as 2019, Dr. Zhang Hai, a tenured associate professor at the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University and the Chinese director of the China-Egypt Memphis Joint Archaeological Project, began active communication with the Egyptian side and traveled to the Nile Delta to conduct field surveys of potential sites. However, the initiative was put on hold for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to the longstanding and in-depth cooperation between the two sides, the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University reached an agreement in 2024 to carry out joint overseas archaeological excavations. They promptly engaged in negotiations with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, which soon offered a number of sites for the Chinese team to evaluate. Zhang Hai led another expedition to Egypt, and after conducting surface surveys and comprehensive assessments of six or seven sites, the team finally selected Tell Aziz in the Memphis archaeological area.
In the first half of 2025, the archaeological project proposed by the team was successfully approved. On October 20, 2025, six Chinese archaeologists arrived in Cairo, Egypt. By the end of October, the China-Egypt Joint Archaeological Mission at Memphis (Tell Aziz site)was officially launched.
“Egyptian archaeology is undoubtedly a highly sought-after field within the global archaeological community. During our many trips to Egypt, we have developed a profound bond with this land of millennia-old civilization,”said Kong Shengli, Full-time Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.He added that this connection and sincerity have been key driving forces behind Shandong’s in-depth participation in archaeological endeavors in Egypt.
Such a valuable partnership is hard to come by, and strength speaks for itself.
Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology boasts a strong team of professionals with remarkable achievements in field excavation, technological archaeology, and infrastructure-related archaeology. The core team members dispatched possess extensive field archaeology experience and can give full play to their professional strengths. From Peking University’s archaeological team, Zhang Hai is an authoritative expert in field archaeology, and the team also includes young talents specializing in Arabic and Egyptology.
The collaboration between a top university and a leading provincial cultural relics and archaeology institute has forged a highly capable overseas team that combines experience, technology and interdisciplinary integration.
Xu Shen, Deputy Director of the Shang and Zhou Archaeology Research Office, Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and a member of the joint archaeological team, described this archaeological expedition to Egypt as a “dream journey.”As one of the Four Great Ancient Civilizations, ancient Egypt boasted a splendid civilization and numerous sites and relics scattered across its land, making it a source of endless fascination.In the history of archaeology, the renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie, known as “the Father of Egyptian Archaeology”, pioneered scientific archaeological methods at the Memphis site in Egypt from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, providing invaluable experience for the development of world archaeology. This dialogue across time and history is truly inspiring.
“Over the more than 100 years since, archaeologists from all over the world have come to work here and achieved fruitful results. For an archaeologist, being able to work in Egypt is undoubtedly an opportunity to gain rich professional experience and enhance professional capabilities,” Xu Shen said.
Civilization Code Beneath the Yellow Sand
Awakening the Temple of Ptah After 2,600 Years
The reason for launching the excavation project at the end of October is that timing is critical for archaeological work in Egypt.
Most of Egypt lies in northeastern Africa and has a tropical desert climate that is hot and dry for much of the year. Extreme heat poses risks to the health and safety of archaeologists. From late October to the end of each year, temperatures drop to 20–30 degrees Celsius, marking the golden season for archaeological excavation.
The dry desert wind sweeps over every grain of sand at the Memphis site.On October 26, 2025, fully protected from the sun, the archaeological team entered the site equipped with Chinese-made 3D scanners, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), exploration shovels, hand trowels, spades and other tools, officially beginning their first day of fieldwork.
Memphis lies at the intersection of the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta. It was one of the oldest and most important capitals of ancient Egypt, traditionally founded around 3100 BCE by the pharaohs of the First Dynasty. For three millennia, Memphis served as the nation’s administrative, economic, and religious center. The city was gradually abandoned in the 7th century CE, and over time its core area became deeply buried underground.
Most of the extensive archaeological remains of Memphis discovered so far are concentrated in the modern village of Mit Rahina, just south of Cairo and adjacent to the Saqqara Necropolis. The Tell Aziz site occupies a low hill to its northeast.
According to Zhang Hai, in 1907, Flinders Petrie uncovered the palace of King Apries and nearby military barracks in the northern part of the Tell Aziz site. Over the following century, archaeological teams and prominent archaeologists from the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal, and other countries conducted work here.“However, archaeological conditions at the Memphis site are severely limited. Affected by shifts in the course of the Nile, rising groundwater levels, modern urban development, and looting, archaeological findings have remained fragmented. To this day, the temple built by Apries has yet to be discovered,” he noted.
In various periods of ancient Egypt, when the kingdom was strong and prosperous, pharaohs would usually commission the construction or expansion of palaces and temples, as well as build their own royal tombs.Apries was the fourth pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty during the Late Period of ancient Egypt, ruling from 589 BCE to 570 BCE. Thanks to a series of policies including foreign trade, Egypt experienced a period of revival in the Late Period.His palace has already been discovered, and it is highly likely that the Temple of Ptah—which served as a center for religious worship, a symbol of royal authority, and a cultural hub—was built at the same time.
Beneath the yellow sand, do important ruins such as a temple await discovery?
Will Memphis become a “land of opportunity” for Chinese archaeological teams working overseas?
Faced with challenging archaeological conditions and the promise of potential discoveries, Zhang Hai, Xu Shen, and their fellow team members felt both anxious and full of anticipation.
Zhang Hai reflected at the time:Different countries’ archaeological teams employ different methods and working philosophies. He sincerely hoped that the field archaeology concepts and approaches developed by Chinese archaeologists, as well as the cutting-edge technologies they command, could demonstrate their due strength on this world-renowned archaeological land of Egypt and at the site beneath their feet. His aspiration was to enable Chinese archaeology to truly go global and reach the wider world.
At the Tell Aziz site, the team set up multiple excavation units in the lower terrace of the southern area and began systematic excavation work.Digging started with the layer-by-layer removal of fill deposits. Whenever buried remains were encountered, the team carefully scraped away the overlying soil inch by inch with hand trowels, fearful of missing any critical information.
Stone was the first to emerge, and the team immediately recognized it as a section of a stone wall. As excavation progressed, five sphinx statues and a stone block inscribed with both hieroglyphs of Ptah, the chief god of Memphis, and Roman numerals were successively unearthed. The Roman numeral designation was carved into an unpolished corner on the side of the block, added at a later date.Archaeologists hypothesize that an early Pharaonic-period Temple of Ptah originally stood on the site. After the temple fell into disuse, the Romans, who later administered the area, repurposed its stone wall blocks as building materials for their own temple.
“From the initial anticipation and anxiety to the continuous discovery of artifacts, uncertainty is the norm in archaeology. Every day feels different, and the mood is like a roller coaster,” said Xu Shen.
The turning point came in mid-November. As the archaeologists were carefully cleaning the surface of a wall, the cartouche of Apries suddenly came into view.
A cartouche is an exclusive royal name symbol of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and a visual emblem of their authority. Following a fixed writing convention, it encloses the pharaoh’s name in hieroglyphs within an oval frame. “Apries’ ancient Egyptian royal name means ‘He who rejoices in the will of Ra’,” explained Xu Shen. “The presence of a pharaoh’s cartouche allows us to precisely date the temple structure. This evidence strongly indicates that the temple was dedicated to Ptah, the chief god of Memphis, and was commissioned by Pharaoh Apries.”
The team continued their excavation. A relatively complete temple complex then emerged clearly, consisting of rectangular chambers, stone-paved floors, and outer steps. Even more astonishingly, additional architectural remains were found deeper beneath this structure.
The archaeological team continued their exploration. Based on the architectural features and stratigraphic sequence, they determined that the complex was a temple ruin constructed, used, and abandoned in at least two phases.The upper, later remains represented the foundation of a temple from the Roman period, which reused architectural elements from the Temple of Ptah built during the reign of Pharaoh Apries in ancient Egypt. Below these lay a more regular stone structure, presumed to be the original Temple of Ptah from Apries’ era, although final confirmation awaited further excavation once groundwater levels dropped.
“After conquering ancient Egypt and establishing a new regime, the Romans maintained local religious traditions for a long time and kept temples in operation to consolidate their rule. During this period, new temples might have been built on the ruins of those damaged by war; alternatively, early temples could have been buried by flood deposits from the river, and later generations reused materials from earlier structures to build new ones,” said Xu Shen.In the long history of ancient Egypt, every temple was a sacred space used over an extended period. The processes of use, abandonment, destruction, and reconstruction of their core structures were highly complex. Coupled with thousands of years of river erosion and topographic changes, the temple remains are far more complicated than imagined, adding considerable difficulty to archaeological work.
By the end of December last year, when the first phase of archaeological work concluded, the joint archaeological team had excavated only a tiny fraction of the newly discovered architectural remains. Many questions still await answers in subsequent fieldwork.
Dialogue between Archaeology and Civilization: Advancing Shandong's Archaeological Efforts onto the Global Stage
In this overseas archaeological endeavor, the joint archaeological team's ability to swiftly and precisely identify clues pointing to the Temple of Ptah constructed by Apries is regarded as "considerably fortunate." However, in retrospect, the Chinese team, while maintaining close and friendly cooperation with their Egyptian counterparts, fully implemented the mature principles, methods, and techniques of Chinese fieldwork archaeology throughout the process. Zhang Hai's earlier expectations were well validated—it represents a powerful demonstration of Chinese field archaeology's capabilities and a successful practice on foreign soil.
Xu Shen told the reporter that archaeological teams from various countries have primarily focused on excavations within the Apries palace itself, rarely conducting comprehensive work on the site as a whole. In contrast, the Chinese team possesses extensive experience in large-scale site archaeology and settlement archaeology, accustomed to examining issues from a macroscopic perspective of the overall development and evolution of ancient settlements. They emphasize exploring the layout of functional zones within large settlements and the functional relationships between them. "This time, we conducted surveys and excavations outward from the walls of the Apries palace. This area connects to the palace and faces the Nile River channel, which logically should constitute an important functional zone. Indeed, this is precisely where the temple was located!"
Within the distinctive methodological system of Chinese field archaeology, more advanced components also include information extraction, cultural heritage conservation, and systematic academic research. Each day, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., the archaeological team members are busily engaged at the excavation site—digging, recording data, and protecting cultural relics. Upon returning to their base, they continue with data organization, academic seminars, and exchange activities. Everyone has clearly defined responsibilities, proceeding in an orderly and methodical manner.
According to local Egyptian regulations on cultural heritage management and protection, excavated artifacts cannot be removed from the site protection area during the working period. Archaeological team members therefore intervene in conservation work at the excavation site itself.
The Tell Aziz site lies adjacent to the Nile River, and the associated remains are located near the groundwater table, resulting in extremely high humidity levels for excavated artifacts. However, given Egypt's arid climate, architectural components thousands of years old—when suddenly exposed from a moist environment to a dry environment with extreme diurnal temperature variations—require immediate conservation measures at the moment of excavation.
"For instance, the square stone blocks that form the walls, after being exposed to the air after excavation, develop a layer of ‘white efflorescence' on their surfaces every morning due to the deterioration of the stone body itself, while the blocks simultaneously become fragile and friable. At the time of excavation, we strive to conduct on-site reagent sealing to isolate the artifacts from contact with air, preventing the stones from becoming brittle,"explained Xu Shen. He noted that the conservation of excavated artifacts presents considerable challenges. Throughout the excavation process, Chinese team members have engaged in full consultation and cooperation with Egyptian conservation specialists to safeguard every artifact to the greatest extent possible.
Regarding on-site information extraction and digital documentation, Zhang Hai stated that the team brought the domestically produced 3D scanning device "Wenbao-1" (literally "Cultural Heritage No. 1"). In situations where drone use was prohibited, this equipment ensured and enhanced the quality of archaeological work. The device is capable of collecting high-precision panoramic imagery data and systematically extracting multi-dimensional information about relics and remains, facilitating subsequent digital recording, simulated reconstruction and restoration, and online exhibition.
According to the survey, the stone walls of the lower architectural remains continue to extend further. Xu Shen speculated that beyond the temple structure itself, there may be additional ancillary buildings or facilities. A complete temple complex typically includes enclosure walls, a Sphinx Avenue, gates, and a riverside quay near the Nile. To date, the outer walls constructed of mud bricks and groups of sphinx statues have been discovered. Several meters to more than ten meters deeper underground, a complete temple complex may lie hidden.
However, the Tell Aziz collaborative project has reached a maximum depth of only 3 meters; substantial work remains to be carried out. This is undoubtedly an archaeological endeavor that cannot be completed in a short time.
January to May marks the Nile's low-water season. After a period of rest and recuperation back in China, the team will return to Egypt in late March to continue their work.
Drawing on last year's work experience, Zhang Hai is considering expanding the team for his return to Egypt by adding personnel skilled in technical drawing, artifact restoration, and report compilation, so as to carry out more work as efficiently as possible. In the next phase of excavation, new trial trenches will be laid out within the site, with the goal of thoroughly documenting all remains in the cooperative project area. "Looking toward broader objectives, we intend to apply China's large-site archaeology concepts and technologies to systematically and comprehensively digitize the work conducted by dozens of archaeological teams at the Memphis site area over the past century," Zhang said.
Zhang Hai noted that Egyptian authorities were also pleasantly surprised by these new discoveries and have given highly positive evaluations. The successful implementation of this cooperative project, he said, stems from the mutual trust between the Chinese and Egyptian sides of the joint archaeological team, as well as Egypt's recognition of Chinese field archaeology methodologies and the alignment of both sides' cultural heritage conservation philosophies.
The archaeological results of the China-Egypt Joint Archaeological Mission at Memphis (Tell Aziz site) were announced during the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also announced this discovery on February 19 this year.
In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the southern part of Tell Aziz belongs to the core area of the ancient city of Memphis. The discoveries by the China-Egypt joint archaeological team will deepen understanding of Memphis's urban layout and provide crucial clues for understanding the city's religious practices from the Late Period of ancient Egypt through the Greco-Roman period.
Regarding the deeper significance of this archaeological mission to Egypt, Sun Bo, Vice Director of Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Deputy Director of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, told reporters that Western archaeology has long focused on iconic remains such as temples and tombs, without systematic and comprehensive excavation of sites—a sharp contrast to the clear trajectory of civilization evolution familiar in Chinese archaeology. As two of the world's four great ancient civilizations, China and Egypt have vastly different civilizations, yet share commonalities. "If we are to conduct exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, we must first have a basic understanding of each other. The archaeological work at the Memphis site is becoming key to unlocking this cognitive puzzle. Through systematic excavation, team members are providing precious physical materials for deepening the understanding of Egyptian civilization. These discoveries will promote more systematic comparative research between scholars of both countries on dimensions such as the origins of civilization, social evolution, and technological development, exploring the shared characteristics and unique paths of the two great civilizations."
Sun Bo believes that the China-Egypt joint archaeology is essentially a dialogue between civilizations across time and space. Its value lies not only in excavating artifacts and reconstructing history, but also in providing wisdom inherited from our ancestors for today's international cultural exchanges and the coexistence of human societies. "Viewing China from beyond China, viewing China from beyond Asia has become an important subject in contemporary civilization studies. The China-Egypt joint archaeology is not only a vivid practice of academic exchange, but also initiates a project of vital and lasting importance. From the young scholars of today to generations of scholars in the future, we will continue to deepen our understanding of these two great civilizations, allowing the power of mutual learning between civilizations to inject lasting momentum into building a community with a shared future for mankind."
In Sun Bo's view, with strong policy guidance and sustained funding from the state, as well as its profound and solid academic foundation in archaeology, Shandong's active participation in international archaeological cooperation is not only an inevitable choice for meeting its own academic development needs, but also a crucial practice for promoting Chinese culture onto the world stage and fostering mutual learning between civilizations.
As the interview drew to a close, more good news arrived.
Kong Shengli told reporters that the China-Egypt joint archaeological team is planning to establish an archaeological workstation in Egypt and is currently actively selecting a site. In the future, the joint team will continue to apply for new sites and carry out archaeological excavation work. The SShandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology will also cooperate with Egypt on exhibitions and academic exchanges.
Egypt is not the only focus, Kong Shenglinoted.Shandong archaeologists will travel to Serbia this year to launch a China-Serbia joint archaeological project, which will be the province's first overseas infrastructure-related archaeological initiative.
