The temple of Deir el Shelwit sits at the interface of the desert and cultivated agricultural lands, 5 kilometers south of better-known sites such as the Valleys of the Kings and Queens.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Deir el Shelwit temple exterior. Image © ARCE, 2012
Temple floorplan (diagram is not to scale).
Reliefs on the east interior wall of the naos. Image © ARCE, 2012
Inspection of the painted relief. Image © ARCE, 2012
Inspection of the painted relief. Image © ARCE, 2012
The interior walls of the temple are carved in high-relief and intricately painted. Image © ARCE, 2012
Detail of vibrant pigment remains on the interior walls. Image © ARCE, 2012
Jennifer Porter and Katey Corda assessing the interior of the temple. Image © ARCE, 2012
A bat colony was habituating in the side chapels, corridor and stairwell of the temple. Bats are a cause of mechanical damage to original surfaces, while their excrement causes staining and chemical deterioration of stone and paint layers and can
Bats roosting in one of the four side chambers in the temple. A small skylight in the ceiling was one of multiple egress points allowing the bats to enter and exit the temple. The skylight is shown both from inside looking up (left) and outside, loo
Dr Christian Dietz, a bat biologist in the Department of Animal Physiology at the University of Tübingen, identified the species as Asellia tridens.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Egyptian monuments are often streaked with bat and bird excreta. While historic sites are frequently sealed to prevent infestations, the closure systems are rarely made of durable materials and are poorly maintained. Image © ARCE, 2012
Guano deposits proved the best indicator of roost locations and aided in estimating colony size between three to five hundred mature bats. No flightless young were observed.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Guano deposits were collected and tested in a Cairo laboratory for the presence of harmful fungal and bacterial growths, principally Histoplasma capsulatum . Image © ARCE, 2012
Planning for sealing of the temple openings. Image © ARCE, 2012
A team of local carpenters sealed the temple openings with wooden frames and a double layer of heavy duty, stainless steel screening with a mesh size of 1 cm2. The design was intended to minimally alter the original light levels and airflow within
Construction of screens on the temple's roof terrace.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Window openings on the temple's south facade, shown before (left) and after (right) closure with screens. Image © ARCE, 2012
Detail of window closures on the temple's south facade after completion. The wooden frames were painted to match the color of the surrounding stone.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Detail of a window closure on the temple's south facade after completion. The frames were individually cut to precisely fit the contours of the original openings.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Detail of a window closure on the temple's interior south wall after completion. A double screening system was implemented wherever possible to act as a backup.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Closure of temple openings with wood and mesh screening.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Closure of temple openings with wood and mesh screening.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Closure of temple openings with wood and mesh screening.  Image © ARCE, 2012
A bat shown exiting the temple through one of two major egress points just after sunset. The most successful means of eradicating a bat infestation is through exclusion, allowing the bats to exit the roost naturally for nighttime feeding and then se
Planning for repointing the exterior building fabric. Bats have the agility to crawl through very small openings including cracks. As a result, repointing was necessary.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Asellia tridens bat taking refuge in one of the many thin cracks running though the building fabric.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Preparation of lime mortar for repointing of the temple’s fabric. Fired bricks were crushed to provide a portion of filler for the mortar. Image © ARCE, 2012
Preparation of lime mortar for repointing of the temple’s fabric. Brick dust and local sand were sieved and washed to provide filler for the mortar. Image © ARCE, 2012
Multiple field tests were carried out to establish the ideal lime to fillers ratio for the mortar mix.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Repointing and filling of the temple’s exterior cracks with a tailor-made lime mortar. Image © ARCE, 2012
Repointing and filling of the temple’s exterior cracks with a tailor-made lime mortar. Image © ARCE, 2012 
Repointing and filling of the temple’s exterior cracks with a tailor-made lime mortar. Image © ARCE, 2012 
Repointing and filling of the temple’s exterior cracks with a tailor-made lime mortar. The north facade is pictured before (left) and after (right) repointing.  Image © ARCE, 2012 
Detail of a large crack in the north facade before (left) and after (right) repointing.  Image © ARCE, 2012 
Detail of a large crack in the north facade before (left) and after (right) repointing.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Detail of a large crack in the north facade before (left) and after (right) repointing.  Image © ARCE, 2012
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Detail of roof joint after filling and repointing with lime mortar.  Image © ARCE, 2012  
Once the bats had been permanently excluded, thick deposits of dust and guano were removed from the floors of the temple. All debris was reviewed for archaeological material before disposal.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Removal of thick dust and guano deposits from the floor of the temple. Dust movement was kept to a minimum by collection with trowels rather than brooms and was regular removal from the temple as it accumulated.  Image © ARCE, 2012
Following cleanup, preparations for work on the interior painted reliefs could begin. An initial step included the erection of a custom wooden scaffold, constructed by a team of local carpenters.  Image © ARCE, 2012
The custom-built wooden scaffold, providing access to the painted reliefs on the interior walls of the naos .  Image © ARCE, 2012
Upon the completion of preventive interventions, work was initiated within the naos , beginning with a condition survey and documentation of the painted reliefs.  Image © ARCE, 2012
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The team. Image © ARCE, 2012
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