In 1894, Margaret Benson, known to her friends as Maggie, took a donkey ride to the Temple of Mut, in Karnak, near the village of Luxor, Egypt. There, she saw the heads of “cat statues,” as she called them, peeking up out of the dirt. She was in love. She wanted to excavate these heads and learn more about the goddess who she represented. The next year, Maggie began excavating at the Temple of Mut. She was the first woman to be granted official permission to excavate in Egypt, making it a truly groundbreaking season. In 1896, returning for a second season, Maggie met Janet Gourlay, Nettie, and fell in love again. Nettie had fallen in love too, and wanted to stay in Egypt. She had archaeological training, so she helped Maggie on site for the next two years. Together, they published the site in a best-selling report, The Temple of Mut in Asher (1899). This talk will detail their original work on the site as well as their personal relationship, demonstrating that they were a genuine scientific partnership.