In 1996, the Bahariya Inspectorate of Antiquities did not have sufficient funding nor enough qualified excavators and conservators to properly preserve the mummies. I felt that this site should be excavated to preserve the mummies and also to know the size of the cemetery. I led a team of archaeologist, architects, restorers, conservators, draftsmen, an electrician, and an artist. We camped in the desert and stayed in a very nice motel near the site. It was a nice change to leave the pyramids and excavate mummies.
Mummies conjure up so many images in people's mind.
Most people know about mummies through scary movies. They inevitably evoke horror movies. But the significance of this find is that it is the first exciting thing that has brought Egyptomania to the modern world. To me this is personally very exciting, but I am not overawed by the scary reputation of mummies. To me it is a science and this remarkable find gives me the chance to find more out about people from another place and time.