One of the most important activity of the Institute is the participation of its scholars in field research. It includes, both, journeys connected with the participation in Polish or foreign excavation works in the Mediterranean as well as the research on social and cultural transformations in countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Research programs of the Institute are linked up with the Kazimierz Michałowski Center of Mediterranean Archaeology UW excavation projects as well as field research of foreign institutes, e.g. in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Sudan and Syria.
The results of these fieldworks are published in the series connected with specific sites.
The scholars of the Institute take part in the following excavations:
Abu Ghurab (Egypt) – Italian-Polish archaeological expedition to the sun temple of Niuserra in cooperation with L'Orientale University of Naples.
The expedition is a part of the "Sun Temples Project", directed by Massimiliano Nuzzolo and involving several members of the institute. The project is funded under the Sonata Bis-9 Call (2019/34/E/HS3/00438).
Dr. Massimiliano Nuzzolo - director of the mission
Teodizja Rzeuska, PhD, Dr. habil., Katarzyna Molga, MA, Marta Bajtler, MA, Roksana Hajduga, MA - members of the mission
Alexandria (Egypt) – Polish-Egyptian excavation-conservatory mission at Kom el-Dikka:
The research of the architectural complex in the centre of the ancient city – monumental public buildings, houses, streets.
Prof. Barbara Lichocka, Ph.D., Dr. habil.; prof. Barbara Tkaczow, Ph.D., Dr. habil. - members of the mission
Banganarti (Sudan) - fortified residential and sacral architecture complex from the 7th – 17th century AD period. Its axis is created by a sequence Archangel of Raphael churches following one another. The upper church (reconstructed numerous times) – an important Nubian pilgrimage centre in the period of late 2nd till early 15th century.
Prof. Bogdan Żurawski, Ph.D., Dr. habil. – director of the project
Deir el-Bahari (Egypt) - epigraphic mission in the Hatshepsut temple. Hathor chapel documentation.
Prof. Janusz Karkowski, Ph.D., Dr. habil. - director of the Epigraphic Mission: Hathor Project
Aleksandra Hallmann-Mikołajczak, PhD; Jadwiga Iwaszczuk, MA; Ewa Józefowicz, MA; Katarzyna Kapiec, MA; Filip Taterka, PhD - members of the mission
Elephantine (Egypt) – studies on decorated fragments from the destroyed, not fully identified sacral buildings from the Ptolemaic-Roman period and cooperation at the reconstruction of the early Thutmoside cult buildings, as part of a German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and Swiss Institute for Architectural and Archaeological Research of Ancient Egypt research project.
Prof. Ewa Laskowska-Kusztal, Ph.D., Dr. habil.; Jadwiga Iwaszczuk, MA - members of the mission
Mission of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo
Dr Teodozja Rzeuska - supervisor of the “Ceramics of the Middle Kingdom” project
Karnak (Egypt) – the exploration of the Hatshepsut chapels in the Amon temple in Karnak as part of the activities of the Center Franco-Egyptien d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK) mission.
Prof. Janusz Karkowski, Ph.D., Dr. habil. - member of the mission
Epigraphic Expedition of the University of Memphis, Tennessee; Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Karnak
Prof. Janusz Karkowski, Ph.D., Dr. habil. - member of the mission
Nea Paphos (Cyprus) - Polish excavations, conservation and reconstruction works in the southwest part of the city on a cape surrounded by the sea. Buildings dated from late 4th c. BC to 6th c. AD, dated on the basis of coins, lamps and ceramic vessels. The most important buildings are: Roman and Late Roman palace with a vast peristyle courtyard called The Theseus Villa; the so-called Aion House, decorated with magnificent mosaics crafted in the 4th c. AD and paintings; the so-called Hellenistic House with few internal courtyards. Among other artefacts, there are marble sculptures (Asclepius and Aphrodite with a sword among others) and the treasure of Filip Arrhidaeus’s and Alexander the Great’s silver coins were discovered.
Henryk Meyza, PhD - director of the mission; prof. Barbara Lichocka, Ph.D., Dr. habil.; Monika Więch, MA - members of the mission
Saqqara (Egypt) - excavation works on the necropolis dating from Old Kingdom (3rd millennium BC) until Greco-Roman period up to beginnings of the 1st c. AD, encompassing the area adjacent to the West side of the Pyramid of Djoser’s complex. The most important discoveries: mastabas of the nobles and a quarry from the Old Kingdom period as well as a few hundred burials from the Ptolemaic- Roman period.
Prof. Karol Myśliwiec – director of the mission; Teodozja Rzeuska, PhD; Małgorzata Radomska, MA – members of the mission
Selib (Sudan) – multicultural site, next to the Meroitic settlement of urban-type from the 1st - 3rd c. AD. Vast Christian architectural complex dated to 6th - 13th century. A complex of four subsequent churches (all of them dedicated to Saint Menas), sakia, a well and ritual bath pools were discovered among others. Excavations in the Meroitic settlement (in the large warehouse and dwelling-houses).
Bogdan Żurawski, PhD – director of the mission; Aneta Cedro, MA - members of the mission