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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Five UH students to work in Egypt tomb

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

"We'll meet in Cairo in mid-June," says the distinguished professor of hieroglyphics, his husky voice giving this the sound of a Bogart movie. Or maybe Lara Croft?

University of Hawai'i Professor Robert Littman, right, arranged for five students to join an archeological dig this summer in the Valley of the Nobles on the West Bank of the Nile. Four of the hieroglyphics students are, from left to right, Puna Chai, Esme Hammerle, Tisha Aragaki and Aven Lee.
Robert Littman continues. "But I'll be in the Valley of the Golden Mummies, 700 miles away. And they'll be digging in the Valley of the Nobles on the West Bank of the Nile near Luxor, not far from King Tut's tomb."

Tombs, mummies, shifting sands and 110-degree temperatures form the framework for an extraordinary summer for five University of Hawai'i students who are joining one of the world's most exclusive archaeological digs.

As students in Littman's hieroglyphics class — a rare class offered about once a decade — Tisha Aragaki, Esme Hammerle, Adam Ogan, Aven Lee and Puna Chai were offered the opportunity to dig with the best: renowned Egyptologists Donald and Susan Redford.

On June 13 the UH team will touch down in Egypt in the middle of its hottest month, and, shrouded from head to toe to prevent sunburn and dehydration, will begin sifting sand from the courtyard of a New Kingdom tomb where the keeper of the granaries was buried in the ninth century next to his worldly possessions.

"It's almost impossible (for students to join a dig,)" said Littman. "Usually only students who are going to become Egyptologists (are able to join.) But because I'm working with the Redfords, they've agreed to take my students."

Hammerle, 20, who will be a junior in anthropology next year and worked last summer selling Godiva chocolate in Ala Moana Center, is thrilled but worried — afraid of "messing up drastically" or not bringing the right gloves or hat. But she said she has the good fortune to tan well. "One thing you don't want to have while you're working strenuously is a sunburn," she said.

Hammerle took hieroglyphics because it was a rare opportunity to learn something unique about her field. She said she feels the same way about the chance to work on a dig in Egypt. "I've always been absolutely fascinated with Egypt and this is like the perfect opportunity. I want to go into classical anthropology. Greece and Egypt are the highlight of my life."

While Littman will be studying health and diseases in mummies — a project he has been working on for some time with the Redfords — the students will do basic archeology, which includes sifting sand through screens to catch even the tiniest artifacts, then depositing and labeling the sand in a nearby dumping area. Through much of the dig they'll be working in tombs just below ground level.

"Every bit of sand you carry out is sifted, then you label what level and what area it's from to develop a grid (of where the artifacts are located,)" said Littman. "Let's say you find a scarab, and you want to know what period it's from. The level can tell you."

The students will also be responsible for recording the reliefs and murals on the walls with cameras, and copying the hieroglyphics by hand. The ancient written language died out about 400 A.D.

"The tombs aren't particularly deep, maybe 8-10 feet below the surface," said Littman. "These are pretty large tombs; it could be 20 feet by 20 feet for a typical tomb. King's tombs could be larger, and some are enormous, 100 yards long at the entrance."

But since they're below the surface, they'll be sheltered from the sun, and cooler.

In anticipating the trip, the students have already stocked up on sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, and the rest of a kit of suggested equipment from sunglasses to gloves. "They're telling us to drink water all through the day because we'll get dehydrated in no time," said Aragaki, a 22-year-old senior in anthropology, whose previous summers have included working at the Kane'ohe Public Library.

"I thought, my gosh, I can't miss this. It's a chance to see how much we can do with what he's taught us." Though Aragaki is planning on graduate school to become a librarian, Littman has been pushing her to switch to Egyptology.

"He thinks I should go for it," she said.

The students hope to be able to work on translating some of the hieroglyphics they're recording, even though most of them took Littman's course primarily out of curiosity and the unique opportunity.

"When do you get a chance to do that?" said Aragaki.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.