Acknowledgments
The idea of publishing a volume on the Lot V was born in 2014, during my stay at the Egyptian Museum of Florence, kindly hosted by its Director, M. Cristina Guidotti, aiming to document the objects originally found in the Tomb of the Priests of Amun at Thebes. This work is entirely owed to the enthusiasm with which M. Cristina Guidotti embraced this idea and to her endeavor in providing all the required conditions for the study and publication of the objects.
During this visit, I had the pleasure to meet Marianna Zarli, with whom I started the most fruitful cooperation, which has resulted in the work currently published. Her dedication was endless and I thank her for her precious and diligent work. The team also involved Deborah Vannucci, who, together with M. Cristina Guidotti, studied the shabti-boxes of the collection.
This book is also greatly indebted to the precious and generous contribution of Kathlyn Cooney, a member of the Gate of the Priests Project, who gave us the priviledge of sharing her studies and documentation work and to Christian Greco, who kindly accepted our invitation to write the Foreword of this volume. I would like to express a vivid acknowledgement to René Van Walsem, who, besides remaining a constant source of inspiration, kindly revised the translations presented in this volume. My acknowledgement is extended to all the members of the Gate of the Priests Project, namely to Alessia Amenta, Luc Delvaux, Lara Weiss, Hélène Guichard, and Giovanna Prestipino, who have transformed the study on the ‘yellow’ coffins into such an exciting adventure.
I am also indebted to the editorial staff of Brill Publishers for their assistance and encouragement, as well as the team from the Centre of Classical and Humanistic Studies, from the University of Coimbra.
Rogério Sousa
Braga