ABSTRACT
Amarna is an archaeological site on the east bank of the Nile in Middle Egypt around 400 km south of Cairo, comprising the remains of the ancient Egyptian city of Akhetaten. The Amarna Project/University of Cambridge has undertaken fieldwork at the site since the 1970s in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) and with the Egypt Exploration Society until 2007. The site is threatened by creeping urbanisation of surrounding settlements, and the local community sees little return from tourism and archaeological research. This chapter describes a joint project between the MoTA and the University of Cambridge to develop links with local communities and to explore sustainable heritage strategies for rural Egypt. The project aimed to connect archaeological fieldwork activities and the protection of the ancient city of Amarna to local needs and resources, promote public education and outreach programmes, develop dual-language learning resources, formalise an integrated management plan for the archaeological site, and work in close collaboration with the Malawi branch of the MoTA to provide training and research opportunities. These initiatives are outlined along with the challenges faced by on-site communities, archaeologists, and local stakeholders in their efforts to protect, preserve, and present the cultural heritage of Amarna. The difficulties of managing the varied expectations of stakeholders and funders in a complex project of this nature are discussed, and the importance of flexibility in establishing solutions appropriate to local contexts is highlighted, alongside the importance of trust and familiarity built over long periods of engagement for creating fruitful working relationships and successful outcomes.
