Scattered Finds: Archaeology, Egyptology and Museums

by Alice Stevenson

Between the 1880s and 1980s, British excavations at locations across Egypt resulted in the discovery of hundreds of thousands of ancient objects that were subsequently sent to some 350 institutions worldwide. These finds included unique discoveries at iconic sites such as the tombs of ancient Egypt’s first rulers at Abydos, Akhenaten, and Nefertiti’s city of Tell el-Amarna and rich Roman Era burials in the Fayum. This book explores the politics, personalities, and social histories that linked fieldwork in Egypt with the varied organizations around the world that received finds. Case studies range from Victorian municipal museums and women’s suffrage campaigns in the United Kingdom to the development of some of the United States’s largest institutions, and from university museums in Japan to new institutions in post-independence Ghana. By juxtaposing a diversity of sites for the reception of Egyptian cultural heritage over the period of a century, this book presents new ideas about the development of archaeology, museums and the construction of Egyptian heritage. It also addresses the legacy of these practices, raises questions about the nature of the authority over such heritage today and argues for a stronger ethical commitment to its stewardship.
 

Genres: Archaeology

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Alice Stevenson is Associate Professor of Museum Studies at UCL’s Institute of Archaeology. She has previously held posts as the Curator of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and as Researcher in World Archaeology at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Her academic specialization is Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egyptian archaeology, but she has a written on a broad range of topics including the history of archaeology, anthropology and museums

Reviews

[M.H. Thaung]

As with most other books from UCL Press, the intended readership for this book is academic rather than general interest. I read this book (the PDF version) with only limited knowledge of archaeology, and no prior knowledge of Egyptology. Quite possibly, most of the content went over my head. However, I'm now better informed about how items found during British excavations in Egypt were dealt with, and the history and politics surrounding their distribution. The time period covered is around the last century and a half. A few points that I took away:

In some senses, archaeology is a destructive process - excavations cause physical damage to the site, and the context is disturbed. How much disturbance is "acceptable" has, I suspect, changed considerably over the century and a half that Stevenson's book covers. Related to that, it wasn't until relatively late that meticulous record-keeping became more valued. Stevenson states:

Documentation practices in museums are often perceived as somewhat dull and routine aspects of daily business, but they are the very soul of institutional potential.

We might also say "we now know better than they did a hundred years ago", but who knows what future archaeologists will say about the present, or whether they'll throw their hands up in horror at current practices?

The author makes very valid points about specific individuals (Flinders Petrie and others) becoming the major names associated with work and projects, with the majority of the team (especially local workers) being barely acknowledged. It's a depressing, although unsurprising, phenomenon. That said, without such strong minded people pushing the work (and loudly), one wonders how much would have been achieved.

I found Stevenson's depiction of the "Egyptomania" phenomenon amusing, with almost celebrity status given to artifacts, and local museums clamouring for more. Of course, many artifacts are rather mundane, and there were possibly many disappointed visitors to such museums. Post WWII, priorities changed, and museums no longer had the resources (or desire) to maintain such collections. In some areas, items were disposed of by being sold to the general public via museum souvenir shops. The sad end to the story somewhat puts me in mind of bargain bin sales to make way for new stock.

Probably not a book I'd have reason to revisit, but it certainly got me thinking. And that's always a good thing for a book.

[João Gabriel Caia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Stevenson, professora e investigadora na University College of London, apresenta uma nova abordagem à história da incorporação e dispersão das antiguidades que, na segunda metade do século XIX, foram sendo escavadas e retiradas do Egipto por iniciativa da elite intelectual britânica, onde pontificava Flinder Petrie ou Amelia Edwards e o Egypt Exploration Fund que fundou.

Tendo como opção metodológica tratar os "object habits", que conceptualiza, apresenta-nos uma visão mais abrangente das diferentes histórias e perceções que o objeto foi tendo, assim como a diversidade de atores que protagonizaram essa história, influenciada pela ideia de "Invisible technician" de Shapin. Não só das principais figuras se fez a história destes objetos, mas sobretudo da miríade de agentes no terreno, britânicos, egípcios e outras origens, entre arqueólogos, trabalhadores de campo ou industriais. Aliado a isso, a progressiva evolução da perceção e interesse dados a estes objetos também se notará na forma como estes serão expostos e trabalhos nos mais diversos museus do mundo, para onde foram vendidos ou oferecidos pelos britânicos. Não se descura, também, a importância do papel que a lógica de poder teve no que diz respeito à relação semi-colonial e de subalternidade existente entre as grandes potências europeias e as realidades árabes e africanas.

"Scattered Finds" merece destaque nas minhas escolhas precisamente pela importância desta renovada abordagem a uma história sobre colecionismo de antiguidades egípcias, cujas dinâmicas podem encontrar algum paralelismo - mas também diferenças relevantes - com as que tenho investigado para o caso da elite real portuguesa.