THE Egypt Exploration Society (founded in 1882) is sponsoring one of its annual lectures in Bolton in recognition of Bolton Museum's support for excavation work in Egypt over the last 120 years.

The society's lectures will be on the theme of its recent work in Egypt at various sites.

The inaugural lecture will be held on Thursday at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) in the Central Library and Museum Lecture Theatre, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton.

Guest speaker is Barry Kemp, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, who is the Society's Field Director at the site of Tell el-Amarna. He will be talking about recent work on the site. Tell el-Amarna is the city established by King Akhenaten, who took up residence, along with his chief queen Nefertiti and their daughters. Tutankhamun, a son of Akhenaten, spent his childhood there and married one of Nefertiti's daughters.

Angela Thomas, keeper of Egyptology, said: "It is an honour that the Egypt Exploration Society has decided to hold an annual lecture in Bolton."

The Egypt Exploration Society conducted excavations at Tell el-Amarna from 1921 to 1936 and returned to the site in 1979.