Free Beneath the Sands of Egypt by PhD Donald P. Ryan Page A

first archaeological fieldwork involved a detailed survey of prehistoric sites in the southwest Fayyum. Here, team members collect artifacts and bones from the desert surface.
Donald P. Ryan
    It’s hard to say what the villagers initially thought of the daily convoy of vehicles full of howaga s (foreigners) that snaked its way at odd hours through their little towns. Our dig-house compound was surrounded by a low mud-brick wall that proved to be no obstacle for the inquisitive locals, who seemed entertained by ourevery activity. Though somewhat an invasion of our privacy, their behavior was understandable. Imagine a large group of very peculiar people moving in next door. They speak an unfamiliar language, they appear to be quite wealthy, and they are in possession of all kinds of strange gear. For many weeks the mad fools travel at daybreak, accompanied by guards, to a shadeless, sandy hell in order to pick up rocks and old bones in a place generally unfit for human survival. They return hot, tired, and thirsty to spend the rest of the afternoon gawking at the insignificant refuse they collected during their daily efforts. After several months they pack up and return to their homes halfway around the world. No wonder the townspeople’s curiosity was piqued, and we were the biggest show in town!
    As perpetual novelties we were also targets for the irrepressible hospitality of the villagers. If we strolled a few yards from our compound, it would immediately evoke an invitation for tea, if not dinner. My first encounter with some of the citizens of Qasr Qarun was with our guards, who camped in the yard. They had noticed that I was at least as curious about them as they were about me and motioned me to join them. They made room for me on a flat woven mat, and a small fire was very cleverly and quickly built from local plant debris. A small copper kettle was filled with water, and a handful of tea was put atop it. (The Egyptians claim that if you drink hot tea on a hot day, it will cool you off.)
    We could not understand one another’s languages but made do with broad gestures to get our intentions across. Soon the tea was boiling, and one fellow produced a little paper cone from beneath his robe along with several small glasses for the tea. The cone contained sugar crystals, which were added to fill about a quarter of each glass. They passed me a glass, but the heat of it nearly caused me to drop it, so I set it down for a moment. The tea was hot,strong, and unbelievably sweet, and my initial urge was to run for my toothbrush, but after trying it several times I found that the experience grew on me, and it became a regular, enjoyable routine. Getting to spend time with my new friends was a wonderful way to occupy what little leisure we had. They were unflaggingly generous and willing to share anything they had. Our time together was also an excellent opportunity to learn Arabic from enthusiastic, patient teachers, and my vocabulary steadily grew. Appropriately enough, my first words referred to things I could point to in the immediate vicinity: “tea,” “water buffalo,” and “geese.”
    The hospitality of the Egyptians can’t be underestimated. A trip to another Fayyum village one day to retrieve water was particularly insightful. We found a local well and began to unload our plastic water jugs. The containers were immediately snatched away from us and taken to the hand pump to be filled as dozens of villagers emerged to become involved in the process. They formed a human chain from the well to our jeep so that the full jugs could be passed along and easily placed in the vehicle. With memories of the Giza Plateau fresh in my mind, I began to search my pockets for change. My colleague did the same as we anticipated paying off every one of these gregarious, uninvited helpers. We scrounged up a small handful of money to present to the man who appeared to be organizing the operation, for