Recent “From the Archives” blog posts have focused on Francis Kelsey and his team as they traveled through Europe, southwest Asia, and North Africa. The trip commenced in 1919 and concluded in 1920, during which time the group traveled from Michigan to New York City, to Scotland and London, France, and through Europe until they reached Turkey. They continued through to Egypt on this trip as well. Posts from 2019 and 2020 show these adventures, and their subsequent return to London and America.
A blog post from April 2018 also showcased some of these travels, and how far the team managed to get on this trip. On April 27, 1920, the Michigan team visited the site of Dimé (Dimay; ancient Soknopaiou Nesos) in the Egyptian Fayum. The blog post highlighted a single roll of film, KS175, which showed the remains of the city, and the team’s approach and quick visit.
For this month’s “From the Archives,” we revisit this trip to Dimé by showcasing more photographs from this day. Though Kelsey had other goals for this year-long trip, he was keen on finding potential excavation sites for Michigan. The team wouldn’t return to excavate nearby Karanis until 1924, and to Dimé until 1931 (after Kelsey’s death in 1927), but he was already laying the groundwork for these excavations back in 1920. The 2018 post showed but a few images George Swain took. This month we show even more photos he took using other equipment, including a Cirkut camera in order to capture a panoramic view of the site. We also have several photographs taken by Easton Kelsey.
Kelsey and his team were able to see all this in a single day; Swain’s photographs from the next day show they were back on the road visiting other sites in Fayum. Even today it takes a long while to reach the site of Dimé; it would have been an even longer trip in the 1920s. This is one reason why the Michigan team spent only one season excavating there.
While Michigan spent only one season at Dimé, Kelsey Museum friends from Italy have spent a number of years studying the site. Amazingly, many of the walls seen here remain standing. Still, in the course of over 100 years since Kelsey’s visit, much has changed, which is why these archival photographs remain such an important resource for ongoing scholarship.
“Dimay. General view of Dimay from butte about a half mile south west. Some ruins standing out above the sand and debris.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Building of white brick, horizontal courses, depressed toward middle. Man standing by corner. The depression of courses might be explained by building over a sewer or hollow place in the ground. Dr. Askren says that it is due to laying the first course on uneven ground without taking pains to level up before starting the wall.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. View across temple area. Desert buttes beyond. At the left, enclosing wall. Part of temple structure in middle of area at the right.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. View toward the lake from the temple, showing road; length of road about 1200 feet as paced by Professor Forbes. Ruins of buildings on both right and left.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Looking back along the road to entrance of temple area. Dr. Askren and Professor Forbes standing at the edges of the road right and left; road here is about 20 feet wide. The blocks are limestone. On either side, at a distance of 20 or 30 feet from the road, the front of a line of buildings begins.” (On the verso of one copy of photograph is written in someone’s hand: “Old town on former edge of Lake of Meras.”) George Swain, April 27, 1920
“General view of the ruins. Masonry walls in the foreground. Line of the great street, some 1200 feet long, runs into the picture from the left, and ending at the mass of ruins in the center of the view. Other masses of ruins off to the right. Ruins said to cover 125 acres. Size, 9 1/2 x 30 1/2 in.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“General view off over the desert toward Lake Moeris (Birket el Karun) from the bluff near Dimay. Line of bluffs shows at right. Two natives and one of our party on the rocks. Size, 9 1/2 x 31 in.” George Swain, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Dr. Askren by spherical boulder between lake and Dimay.” Easton Kelsey, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Great road leading up toward the temple, diagonal view.” Easton Kelsey, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Arrival of our party at Dimay, and some of the ruins.” Easton Kelsey, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Ruins of the temple enclosure, Dimay.” Easton Kelsey, April 27, 1920.
“Dimay. Looking up the line of the great road toward the temple enclosure.” Easton Kelsey, April 27, 1920.
