History Of Treasure

Starting in 1912, an Austrian ceremonial grave excavation team began working at the stone plateau of Giza in Egypt by opening the first graves from the period of the Old Kingdom (approx. 2650-2190 B.C.), west of the pyramid of Cheops. The excavated graves brought to light a large number of art works and art history artifacts, some of which found their way to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The statues, reliefs, coffins, and other grave items may now be seen as part of the exhibition "In the Shadow of the Pyramids. The Austrian excavations at Giza (1912-1929)". The main piece in the exhibit and also the most significant find of the Austrian dig is the life-size statue of Hemiunu (on loan from the Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim). He was the nephew of Cheops, and as one of the architects of the Cheops pyramid also had construction oversight over that large project. These worthwhile exhibits are supplemented by digital presentations, which enable you to take a virtual trip to the Giza plateau in the Old Kingdom.