Sergio visited London in August 2019 and stayed in the Trust’s Kensington house.

Thanks to The Robert Anderson Trust, I was able to spend the last month of August in London. My stay there was fruitful, not only in terms of what it meant for my research, but because I also feel like I have become part of a greater family.

Sergio photographing a large map of the Saqqara plateau in the archives of the Egypt Exploration Society.

The accommodation was ideal. It was conveniently located and contained a praiseworthy library collection (I was lucky to have slept among some of the books from the personal library of Dr Robert Anderson!). The atmosphere was comfortable and gave me and my colleagues the opportunity to share our experiences and research progress. It was very easy to commute from the house to the places where I spent most of my time- such as at The Egypt Exploration Society, The Warburg Institute, the British Museum and the Petrie Museum, which were accessible from the neighborhood. In addition, Imperial College, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum were also all within walking distance. The house is very close to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park as well, which made for great outings during the evenings and weekends. I was also able to visit colleagues and do some archival research in Cambridge, since it is close enough to go for day.

In terms of my work, my stay in London has helped me move forward in a number of ways. I was able to collect important archival data, and had a series of meetings with scholars, of which will hopefully lead to interesting projects. I am particularly indebted to Chris Naunton, as he was very integral in helping me form connections with British Egyptologists whose work and interests are closely linked to my own. Our conversations about the progress of my work and its ethical aspects were particularly enriching, and I truly appreciate his help with getting the necessary equipment for the documentation of the archives.

But perhaps the best aspect of my stay with the Trust was the sense of belonging. I really feel that by joining the Trust, I have joined a community whose support and encouragement means and will mean much more than just a one month stay as I move forward in my career.