What do you think?
Rate this book
Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century
When it was found in 1922, the 3,300-year old tomb of Tutankhamun sent shockwaves around the world, turning the boy-king into a household name overnight and kickstarting an international media obsession that endures to this day.From pop culture and politics to tourism and heritage, and from the Jazz Age to the climate crisis, it's impossible to imagine the twentieth century without the discovery of Tutankhamun - yet so much of the story remains untold. Here, for the first time, Christina Riggs weaves compelling historical analysis with tales of lives touched by an encounter with Tutankhamun, including her own. Treasured offers a bold new history of the young pharaoh who has as much to tell us about our world as his own.
448 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2022
24 people are currently reading
2456 people want to read
About the author
Christina Riggs
11 books54 followersChristina Riggs is Professor of the History of Visual Culture at Durham University in the northeast of England. Her most recent book is Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century (2021), an 'utterly original' account which Kirkus Reviews has described as 'an imaginative weaving of the personal and political into a fresh narrative of an archaeological icon.'
Riggs is a former museum curator who studied art history, archaeology, and Egyptology in her native United States before moving to the UK to complete her doctorate at Oxford University. She has held a number of prestigious fellowships, and her writing has appeared in Apollo, History Today, the Times Literary Supplement, the London Review of Books, and Italia magazine, the last reflecting her love of all things Italian. She lives between the north of England and the north of Italy – and wherever she is, she writes first thing in the morning, with a strong cup of coffee.
Riggs is a former museum curator who studied art history, archaeology, and Egyptology in her native United States before moving to the UK to complete her doctorate at Oxford University. She has held a number of prestigious fellowships, and her writing has appeared in Apollo, History Today, the Times Literary Supplement, the London Review of Books, and Italia magazine, the last reflecting her love of all things Italian. She lives between the north of England and the north of Italy – and wherever she is, she writes first thing in the morning, with a strong cup of coffee.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 2, 2022
"Burying a king was busy work. So was finding him."
1922
British archaeologist, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut) in 1922. The tomb contained between 5,000 to 6,000 objects/artifacts. This discovery not only shocked the world, but King Tut became (and remains) a household name. He did not reign for long and his tomb was small for a King, but his legacy remains. He may have reigned in Egypt, but he has traveled the world. Jacqueline Kennedy first welcomed the young pharaoh to America in the 1960's. His artifacts have traveled the world many times.
"...he remains a source of pride to millions of Egyptians for whom the pharaohs are not only the national football team but a daily reminder of their country's renowned past."
In this book, the author not only showcases the discovery of the pharaoh, but of Howard Carter, and everything in between. She also makes a point to mention those who were not named in the discovery of his tomb - mainly Egyptian archaeologists. She tells of the lives touched by their encounter(s) with the "boy king" There is a lot of information given and it does read like a textbook at times. The book ended at the 75% mark on my kindle, where she provided the timeline from c.1550 - 2022. The remainder of the book is the bibliography and notes which goes to show the impressive and extensive amount of research that went into the writing of this book.
There is a lot to take in and as I mentioned, at times this reads like a textbook. There is a lot of information and a lot of detail, but fans of ancient Egypt, King Tut, and Egyptology will not be disappointed.
Extensively researched and informative.
Thank you to Perseus Books, Public Affairs and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
1922
British archaeologist, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut) in 1922. The tomb contained between 5,000 to 6,000 objects/artifacts. This discovery not only shocked the world, but King Tut became (and remains) a household name. He did not reign for long and his tomb was small for a King, but his legacy remains. He may have reigned in Egypt, but he has traveled the world. Jacqueline Kennedy first welcomed the young pharaoh to America in the 1960's. His artifacts have traveled the world many times.
"...he remains a source of pride to millions of Egyptians for whom the pharaohs are not only the national football team but a daily reminder of their country's renowned past."
In this book, the author not only showcases the discovery of the pharaoh, but of Howard Carter, and everything in between. She also makes a point to mention those who were not named in the discovery of his tomb - mainly Egyptian archaeologists. She tells of the lives touched by their encounter(s) with the "boy king" There is a lot of information given and it does read like a textbook at times. The book ended at the 75% mark on my kindle, where she provided the timeline from c.1550 - 2022. The remainder of the book is the bibliography and notes which goes to show the impressive and extensive amount of research that went into the writing of this book.
There is a lot to take in and as I mentioned, at times this reads like a textbook. There is a lot of information and a lot of detail, but fans of ancient Egypt, King Tut, and Egyptology will not be disappointed.
Extensively researched and informative.
Thank you to Perseus Books, Public Affairs and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 5, 2022
To say that I windmill-slammed the request button on NetGalley for this book is an understatement. Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century promised something very tantalizing: a look into a cultural phenomenon that took the world by storm a hundred years ago. Christina Riggs does not exaggerate when she talks about the “Tut-mania” that swept the world over and over throughout the twentieth century, literally inspiring so many people like her to become Egyptologists. Though it had no such enduring impact on me, I remember the requisite ancient Egypt unit in elementary school, the making of a papier-mâché mummy entombed in a shoebox sarcophagus painted like Tutankhamun’s famous funerary mask. So when I saw Public Affairs offering eARCs, yeah, it touched something deep within my psyche. “Let’s dive into this,” I thought, “and see what more I can learn.”
Riggs weaves her own personal backstory throughout the book as she examines the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the subsequent analyses of his tomb and body, and the way the objects of his tomb became an important part of Egypt’s export of its culture on tour for political and economic benefits. Much to my satisfaction, Riggs explicitly calls out the colonialist and imperialist forces that shaped everything about Tutankhamun’s treatment, from his discovery up to the present day. That was my main concern going in—that the book would be a little shallow and not engage with the colonial elephant in the room—and Riggs allayed it immediately.
These are the science history books I truly appreciate: the ones that grapple with the darkness at the root of Western science’s often harmful history. We like to hold up science as a neutral process, but that is true only in the most abstract sense of the scientific method. The truth is that for the vast majority of the history of science, the scientists, the people involved, have often resorted to callous, careless, cruel experiments and methodology to get answers. In the case of Tutankhamun, the subject is millennia dead—but I don’t really see that making much of a difference. At the end of the day, this is the story of British archaeologists digging up the dead bodies of an ancient culture because they wanted to and had the power to make it happen. It’s gross.
Riggs highlights this while also, quite appropriately I think, stressing that her discipline of Egyptology is not all mummies all the time. Indeed, while Tutankhamun might have been an inciting incident in her childhood that nudged her on this path, she recounts that it was a long time into her studies before she came face-to-face with an actual mummy. This is a good reminder that it is possible to study history in a less invasive way.
So the chapters (which come later in the book) that focus on the physical examinations of Tutankhamun and the two fetal mummies found in his tomb were difficult but necessary to read. What of the earlier and later chapters, focusing on the tomb’s discovery and then Tutankhamun’s legacy for modern Egypt?
The discovery chapters are fun to read because Riggs is helpful at unravelling the sensationalism and mythology that has built up over the years. She digs into the personalities of Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon, talking about Carter’s early life, his career in Egypt, and how he wasn’t quite the dashing archaeologist that his hometown back in England might like to portray him as being. It’s worth remembering, Riggs tells us, that archaeology in the early twentieth century was still very much crystallizing as a science, and many people saw it as much as a business opportunity as a scientific one. Again, the blatant, wholesale extraction of objects from Egyptian tombs to Britain, the United States, and other destinations feels so wrong—but as Riggs pointed out, it was seen as perfectly normal back then, a kind of salvage right built into the contracts between those digging and the fledgling antiquities ministry in Egypt.
The legacy chapters, similarly, point to a complicated history of political tension between newly independent Egypt, its former colonizer, and the rest of the world. Tutankhamun at times becomes an olive branch and a rallying cry. He is Egypt; Egypt is him. (I really liked Riggs talking a little smack, carefully but ever so critically, of Zahi Hawass—if you have ever watched an ancient Egypt special on Discovery Channel, you know this guy. I don’t know much about him and have no skin in this game, but his absolute ubiquity as the go-to expert for all these shows made me skeptical, and it seems with good reason.) The detail that Riggs goes into helps us understand the monumental scale of undertaking an international tour of these artifacts.
In a similar way, I appreciated how much time Riggs spends discussing the photography and archiving of photographs of Tutankhamun’s tomb and artifacts. She lingers on this to a point where some people might be critical of it, but I think it’s important. So much of what we see as young people is visual—is not Tutankhamun’s mask one of the most recognizable visual icons in our culture today? That is so because of the decades of photography that happened, from the discovery of the tomb all the way through its tours. Riggs explains how this was achieved with the technology of the time, as well as how two very determined women mounted an effort to catalogue and preserve the original negatives in a way that would prove useful for future generations. Science is not just the dramatic discovery: it is also the decades of hard work that follow by people, often who do not have fancy degrees, who spend their days organizing, administrating, and believing in the importance of what they do.
Treasured is an intense, lively, and interesting read about this young king, the discovery of his tomb, and the sensation he sparked off a hundred years ago. It was satisfying, critical in the way I wanted but also inspiring. Would read more from Christina Riggs, and very well might.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
Riggs weaves her own personal backstory throughout the book as she examines the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the subsequent analyses of his tomb and body, and the way the objects of his tomb became an important part of Egypt’s export of its culture on tour for political and economic benefits. Much to my satisfaction, Riggs explicitly calls out the colonialist and imperialist forces that shaped everything about Tutankhamun’s treatment, from his discovery up to the present day. That was my main concern going in—that the book would be a little shallow and not engage with the colonial elephant in the room—and Riggs allayed it immediately.
These are the science history books I truly appreciate: the ones that grapple with the darkness at the root of Western science’s often harmful history. We like to hold up science as a neutral process, but that is true only in the most abstract sense of the scientific method. The truth is that for the vast majority of the history of science, the scientists, the people involved, have often resorted to callous, careless, cruel experiments and methodology to get answers. In the case of Tutankhamun, the subject is millennia dead—but I don’t really see that making much of a difference. At the end of the day, this is the story of British archaeologists digging up the dead bodies of an ancient culture because they wanted to and had the power to make it happen. It’s gross.
Riggs highlights this while also, quite appropriately I think, stressing that her discipline of Egyptology is not all mummies all the time. Indeed, while Tutankhamun might have been an inciting incident in her childhood that nudged her on this path, she recounts that it was a long time into her studies before she came face-to-face with an actual mummy. This is a good reminder that it is possible to study history in a less invasive way.
So the chapters (which come later in the book) that focus on the physical examinations of Tutankhamun and the two fetal mummies found in his tomb were difficult but necessary to read. What of the earlier and later chapters, focusing on the tomb’s discovery and then Tutankhamun’s legacy for modern Egypt?
The discovery chapters are fun to read because Riggs is helpful at unravelling the sensationalism and mythology that has built up over the years. She digs into the personalities of Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon, talking about Carter’s early life, his career in Egypt, and how he wasn’t quite the dashing archaeologist that his hometown back in England might like to portray him as being. It’s worth remembering, Riggs tells us, that archaeology in the early twentieth century was still very much crystallizing as a science, and many people saw it as much as a business opportunity as a scientific one. Again, the blatant, wholesale extraction of objects from Egyptian tombs to Britain, the United States, and other destinations feels so wrong—but as Riggs pointed out, it was seen as perfectly normal back then, a kind of salvage right built into the contracts between those digging and the fledgling antiquities ministry in Egypt.
The legacy chapters, similarly, point to a complicated history of political tension between newly independent Egypt, its former colonizer, and the rest of the world. Tutankhamun at times becomes an olive branch and a rallying cry. He is Egypt; Egypt is him. (I really liked Riggs talking a little smack, carefully but ever so critically, of Zahi Hawass—if you have ever watched an ancient Egypt special on Discovery Channel, you know this guy. I don’t know much about him and have no skin in this game, but his absolute ubiquity as the go-to expert for all these shows made me skeptical, and it seems with good reason.) The detail that Riggs goes into helps us understand the monumental scale of undertaking an international tour of these artifacts.
In a similar way, I appreciated how much time Riggs spends discussing the photography and archiving of photographs of Tutankhamun’s tomb and artifacts. She lingers on this to a point where some people might be critical of it, but I think it’s important. So much of what we see as young people is visual—is not Tutankhamun’s mask one of the most recognizable visual icons in our culture today? That is so because of the decades of photography that happened, from the discovery of the tomb all the way through its tours. Riggs explains how this was achieved with the technology of the time, as well as how two very determined women mounted an effort to catalogue and preserve the original negatives in a way that would prove useful for future generations. Science is not just the dramatic discovery: it is also the decades of hard work that follow by people, often who do not have fancy degrees, who spend their days organizing, administrating, and believing in the importance of what they do.
Treasured is an intense, lively, and interesting read about this young king, the discovery of his tomb, and the sensation he sparked off a hundred years ago. It was satisfying, critical in the way I wanted but also inspiring. Would read more from Christina Riggs, and very well might.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
November 10, 2021
Who hasn’t had a fascination with ancient Egypt at one point or another? And it’s generally attributed to the images of that era’s most recognizable ambassador, King Tutankhamun. His burial mask is one of the most well-known artifacts, but there is so much more to the tomb’s discovery than I ever would have imagined! Riggs presents everything we never knew we needed to know about King Tut in this fantastic book. She gives us her own background to frame the narrative, then we are launched into a biography of the discoverer, Howard Carter and the details of the excavation. There were so many details about those years in the 1920’s that I wasn’t previously privy to.
Beyond the initial discovery Riggs discusses the socioeconomic history of Egypt during colonialism and the role it played in archeology at the time. She gives credit to unsung heroes involved in various aspects of Tut, including Egyptian workers and female archivists. “Tutankhamun… took on the role of cultural ambassador,” but in a greater sense than you might think. By touring some artifacts in the 60’s and 70’s, UNESCO was able to raise money to preserve monuments that would have otherwise been submerged by the building of a damn. And by allowing these pieces to travel abroad, Egypt scored major points in diplomatic relations.
I learned about merchandising, preservation, the fate of the pharaoh’s mummy, the plans for his future home, and so much more. It’s a great, comprehensive book that combines history, archeology, and anthropology with a sense of wonder at Tutankhamun’s treasures.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Beyond the initial discovery Riggs discusses the socioeconomic history of Egypt during colonialism and the role it played in archeology at the time. She gives credit to unsung heroes involved in various aspects of Tut, including Egyptian workers and female archivists. “Tutankhamun… took on the role of cultural ambassador,” but in a greater sense than you might think. By touring some artifacts in the 60’s and 70’s, UNESCO was able to raise money to preserve monuments that would have otherwise been submerged by the building of a damn. And by allowing these pieces to travel abroad, Egypt scored major points in diplomatic relations.
I learned about merchandising, preservation, the fate of the pharaoh’s mummy, the plans for his future home, and so much more. It’s a great, comprehensive book that combines history, archeology, and anthropology with a sense of wonder at Tutankhamun’s treasures.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
February 18, 2022
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley.
Christina Riggs, a British-American historian and former museum curator who, among other topics, specialized in ancient Egyptian art presents Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century.
A combination of analysis, biography and history, Riggs covers the history of Egyptology, Howard Carter's life, the discovery and processing of the Tutankhamun's Tomb and the ebb and flow of Tutankhamun in the public consciousness.
Riggs is comprehensive in her coverage of the topic, beginning by presenting the reader with a biography of Howard Carter and the history of the field of Egyptology. From there the discovery of the tomb in 1922 is detailed in depth making sure to point out the lack of credit given to the contributions of the non-Europeans to the point where many of those who worked on the dig are unknown beyond their appearance in photos.
And this is a recurrent strength of Riggs work, she frequently points to those who work has not been acknowledged or credited. She also explore the challenging question of ownership and representation of these historic treasures. The latter half of the book explores Tutankhamun's Treasures as a political tool in Egypt's international relations and their use in creating blockbuster exhibitions. And in that latter the question of money is very important. Who benefited from the exhibitions? For the first batch, they were intended to assist UNESCO efforts to move historic locations from the flood zone of the Aswan Dam project. Later exhibitions were more political or financially focused.
At times dense and detail heavy, Riggs presents a thorough history of the discovery and propagation of Tutankhamun's Tomb throughout the 20th century. A book worth reading for anyone interested in Egypt's history.
Christina Riggs, a British-American historian and former museum curator who, among other topics, specialized in ancient Egyptian art presents Treasured: How Tutankhamun Shaped a Century.
A combination of analysis, biography and history, Riggs covers the history of Egyptology, Howard Carter's life, the discovery and processing of the Tutankhamun's Tomb and the ebb and flow of Tutankhamun in the public consciousness.
Riggs is comprehensive in her coverage of the topic, beginning by presenting the reader with a biography of Howard Carter and the history of the field of Egyptology. From there the discovery of the tomb in 1922 is detailed in depth making sure to point out the lack of credit given to the contributions of the non-Europeans to the point where many of those who worked on the dig are unknown beyond their appearance in photos.
And this is a recurrent strength of Riggs work, she frequently points to those who work has not been acknowledged or credited. She also explore the challenging question of ownership and representation of these historic treasures. The latter half of the book explores Tutankhamun's Treasures as a political tool in Egypt's international relations and their use in creating blockbuster exhibitions. And in that latter the question of money is very important. Who benefited from the exhibitions? For the first batch, they were intended to assist UNESCO efforts to move historic locations from the flood zone of the Aswan Dam project. Later exhibitions were more political or financially focused.
At times dense and detail heavy, Riggs presents a thorough history of the discovery and propagation of Tutankhamun's Tomb throughout the 20th century. A book worth reading for anyone interested in Egypt's history.
February 21, 2022
An extremely humane and thoughtful work, with an exceptionally fine balance between memoir and nonfiction.
November 13, 2022
There is something very poetic about reading this book exactly 100 years after the tomb of Tutankhamun was uncovered in the Giza desert. I remember reading a school library book about the tomb's 'discovery' when I was about 9 years-old and being absolutely entranced by the wealth of treasure that was found and brought out for the world to see. In a way, it informed my still thriving love for history and the career path I've chosen to embark on. So, I related to Riggs very strongly when she talked of a similar entrancement by Ancient Egypt from childhood into adulthood. She gives a compelling account of her own academic journey as well as the journey of King Tut in the modern world in the time since his 'ressurection'.
What makes this book special, however is that it does not glamorise the 1922 excavation. Rather, it explains it in solid detail and highlights specific contextual points which are returned to later in reference to the world's reception of this ancient king and the contents of his tomb. Riggs links Tutankhamun to Egyptian and global politics, showing his power effectively as a diplomat in smoothing international relations in the late 20th century. She also makes a compelling case for the Egyptian voices in this story and highlights Howard Carter's missteps and the danger of whitewashing Egyptian history due to our western fascination with the subject.
This was mostly a very well articulated book. At points, some of the minute detail of political events and figures felt a little clunky but overall, it was a very compelling read, particularly when Riggs's own voice shone through. It was also very interesting finding out about the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and hearing some of the ethical debates around this state of the art facility and what that means for a modern day Egypt.
What makes this book special, however is that it does not glamorise the 1922 excavation. Rather, it explains it in solid detail and highlights specific contextual points which are returned to later in reference to the world's reception of this ancient king and the contents of his tomb. Riggs links Tutankhamun to Egyptian and global politics, showing his power effectively as a diplomat in smoothing international relations in the late 20th century. She also makes a compelling case for the Egyptian voices in this story and highlights Howard Carter's missteps and the danger of whitewashing Egyptian history due to our western fascination with the subject.
This was mostly a very well articulated book. At points, some of the minute detail of political events and figures felt a little clunky but overall, it was a very compelling read, particularly when Riggs's own voice shone through. It was also very interesting finding out about the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and hearing some of the ethical debates around this state of the art facility and what that means for a modern day Egypt.
February 1, 2022
As we approach the 100 year anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb Christina Riggs gives us some new perspectives of the King's importance to society, politics and so much more. While she delves deeply into the backgrounds of those involved in the discovery - Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon - we learn about colonialism, sexism, politics. She also brings into the light so many of the people who contributed to introducing him and marketing him to the world. I was enthralled and kept telling myself 'just a few more pages" more than once.
My thanks to the publisher PublicAffairs and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
My thanks to the publisher PublicAffairs and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2021
I’m fascinated with Ancient Egypt and with the era of exploration that saw the birth of Egyptology. Howard Carter’s archeological exploits that culminated with the discovery of King Tut’s burial is also a favorite subject of mine. Treasured, however, focuses on the historical and political climate that was influenced by the find, and I didn’t enjoy that part as much. I like the way that the author places the story in a historical context, which makes it easier to follow. I also enjoyed the look at the exhibits through time. My problem was that the large amount of details eventually became distracting. There are brief bios of many of the people involved in the events, but some were not that relevant. I was hoping for more anecdotes from the original discovery and, instead, there were many historical facts and dates with a heavy political bias. I agree with many of the author’s points of view, but I was hoping for a lighter read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Perseus Books, PublicAffairs!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Perseus Books, PublicAffairs!
November 8, 2021
With the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, several books about the boy king are on the horizon.
Instead of a biography of the young pharoah, this is an examination of the discover and the enduring popularity of King Tut and Egyptology. More importantly, Riggs also highlights the racism and colonial attitudes that surrounded the discovery and the erasure of Egyptian opinions and assistance. Riggs also shares her childhood fascination with Egyptology, and how it has changed throughout her career.
Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase to provide readers a thoughtful look at Tut-mania.
Many thanks to Perseus Books/PublicAffairs and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Instead of a biography of the young pharoah, this is an examination of the discover and the enduring popularity of King Tut and Egyptology. More importantly, Riggs also highlights the racism and colonial attitudes that surrounded the discovery and the erasure of Egyptian opinions and assistance. Riggs also shares her childhood fascination with Egyptology, and how it has changed throughout her career.
Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase to provide readers a thoughtful look at Tut-mania.
Many thanks to Perseus Books/PublicAffairs and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2024
Interesting recount of the excavation of Tutankhamen’s tomb, the aftermath, the implications, the cultural significance both in Egypt and abroad. It was good, thoughtful and delved into some of the more profound and problematic elements of archeological work. I would have liked more detail about the early cultural effects initially, but the book is valuable and well written (though sometimes jumps about a bit repeats) by someone who clearly cares very deeply about the subject. It was interesting to read something that is more aware of the colonialism and inherent problems with Egyptology for a change.
March 2, 2022
Riggs' book is the best I have read on Egyptology, its troubled and sometimes shameful past, its often precarious present (balancing scholarly approaches with commercialism), and its tentative hopefulness for the future. Riggs pulls no punches in exposing Howard Carter's difficult personality, his racist attitudes, his superiority complex (shared by most British at the time), and his brazen thefts of materials found in Tutankhamen's tomb. I learned a great deal from this book. Some things that particularly stand out to me: 1) over 5640 objects were discovered in Tut's tomb; 2) Tut's tomb was the first major discovery where the vast majority of objects found remained in Egypt. (In earlier times, up to half of the items discovered ended up in foreign museums and on estates of the upper class); 3) UNESCO, which successfully saved many monuments from the rising waters of the Nile, shamefully ignored the impact on the Nubian people themselves; 4) Egypt's new GEM is massive in scale and located near the pyramids in Giza. The list goes on. Colonialism and its ugly, racist attitudes still plays into the fate of Egyptian antiquities. One has to wonder if there will ever be an honest reckoning of the shabby treatment of women and natives (as well as their vast contributions to the preservation of Egyptian antiquities) by the European powers that pillaged Egypt for decades. Like most things in life, the truth is far more complex and gritty than the idealized version of events that we have readily swallowed for so long.
February 10, 2023
This fascinating book covers the century since the most famous archaeological discovery of all time: the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922. Detailing the event and what has happened to the treasures and the mummy since, Christina Riggs provides a clear account, embellished with personal anecdotes about her own relationship with the material. Absorbing, revelatory and even moving, this is a book in which to see "wonderful things."
August 13, 2022
Misleading title. This is the history of what happened to the objects taken from the tomb and very little about how they impacted society. Summary: people were fascinated by the objects and museums made a ton of money from gift shop sales. "The objects we put into boxes defy straightforward explanations. Values may lie not in raw materials but in the memories an object holds." p.221
November 2, 2022
*** Possible Spoilers ***
DNF
I got this in audio format. It was classified as history and I expected a work on ancient Egypt; however, the century referenced in the title is the hundred years of archaeology involved in the discovery. I might have continued but the author made it clear this book had precious little to do with Egypt, history or Tutankhamun. In audio format this book is eleven hours, thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds in length. Within the first fifteen minutes the author uses words and phrases such as, 'systemic racism', 'global inequities', 'climate change', 'western colonialism', 'systems that relied on racism through and through', 'empire building', 'capitalist excess', 'cold war politics', 'dizzying detrimental heights reached by weapon sales and fossil fuel extraction in the Middle East', and others of that nature.
I might have continued despite the above; however I decided this book was definitely not for me when I came to the following: "It draws on personal history as well. In this book I weave together memoir, travel, art and archeology in order to write a history that is revisionist in the best and truest sense of that word." In short, this is a work of fiction.
By "best and truest sense of that word" she means it will most likely ascribe to the Critical Theory that is part and parcel of Marxist ideology. In simple terms, one is apparently presented with over eleven hours of left wing drivel. Not for me.
If your politics is right of center you are best to skip this one. If you are of the political left, you may enjoy it but you may find it boring. I suspect that even the most radical of the political left can stomach only so much preaching before packing it in.
Frankly I don't recommend this for anyone.
DNF
I got this in audio format. It was classified as history and I expected a work on ancient Egypt; however, the century referenced in the title is the hundred years of archaeology involved in the discovery. I might have continued but the author made it clear this book had precious little to do with Egypt, history or Tutankhamun. In audio format this book is eleven hours, thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds in length. Within the first fifteen minutes the author uses words and phrases such as, 'systemic racism', 'global inequities', 'climate change', 'western colonialism', 'systems that relied on racism through and through', 'empire building', 'capitalist excess', 'cold war politics', 'dizzying detrimental heights reached by weapon sales and fossil fuel extraction in the Middle East', and others of that nature.
I might have continued despite the above; however I decided this book was definitely not for me when I came to the following: "It draws on personal history as well. In this book I weave together memoir, travel, art and archeology in order to write a history that is revisionist in the best and truest sense of that word." In short, this is a work of fiction.
By "best and truest sense of that word" she means it will most likely ascribe to the Critical Theory that is part and parcel of Marxist ideology. In simple terms, one is apparently presented with over eleven hours of left wing drivel. Not for me.
If your politics is right of center you are best to skip this one. If you are of the political left, you may enjoy it but you may find it boring. I suspect that even the most radical of the political left can stomach only so much preaching before packing it in.
Frankly I don't recommend this for anyone.
October 14, 2022
Non è un libro sulla scoperta della tomba, che pure è raccontata, ma su tutto quello che è successo attorno - e dopo. La gestione dei reperti, il loro sfruttamento economico-politico, la cornice colonialista e post-colonialista dell’egittologia.
L’aspetto austero e l’editore possono intimorire, ma Christina Riggs ha scritto un libro che potrebbe interessare anche a chi non ha una particolare passione per l’antico Egitto – pur essendo più che rigoroso dal punto di vista della documentazione.
L’aspetto austero e l’editore possono intimorire, ma Christina Riggs ha scritto un libro che potrebbe interessare anche a chi non ha una particolare passione per l’antico Egitto – pur essendo più che rigoroso dal punto di vista della documentazione.
February 25, 2022
I hated every minute of it. It was like a school textbook I had to finish goddamit. I felt like I really ought to read it since I was three days from a trip to Egypt when it was cancelled because of the pandemic.
It bounced back and forth with so many names and tangential connections I had to keep flipping back and forth and there were plenty of times she could have stopped at privileged old family and not traced the family back several centuries to the point where I forgot which museum we were talking about. I get that it's important to see how much wealth and privilege shaped events, but there were whole family histories that could have been endnotes.
Also the weaving in of the memoir elements was like wait what? Again I found the freeform bouncing around in time confusing and kept skipping back to see what I missed.
So I'm glad of more of the sociological grounding, though now unsure how to approach having been fascinated with ancient Egypt my whole life. Like do I just do my best to forget it to stay in my lane or make reparations? There's not really any helpful tips here. It feels like, hey, it's not your fault but makes you racist, but not really how to try to remedy it.
It bounced back and forth with so many names and tangential connections I had to keep flipping back and forth and there were plenty of times she could have stopped at privileged old family and not traced the family back several centuries to the point where I forgot which museum we were talking about. I get that it's important to see how much wealth and privilege shaped events, but there were whole family histories that could have been endnotes.
Also the weaving in of the memoir elements was like wait what? Again I found the freeform bouncing around in time confusing and kept skipping back to see what I missed.
So I'm glad of more of the sociological grounding, though now unsure how to approach having been fascinated with ancient Egypt my whole life. Like do I just do my best to forget it to stay in my lane or make reparations? There's not really any helpful tips here. It feels like, hey, it's not your fault but makes you racist, but not really how to try to remedy it.
Read
January 19, 2023Should have known better after I read an article she wrote about this book in a magazine as some sentences were perfectly sensible and common knowledge and in the next breath she was hurling accusations of racism and colonialism and contradicting what she had said before. The book was the same It annoyed me no end, I was torn between not reading, throwing it across the room or writing comments throughout it which I could not do because it was a library book. Way too much about her own personal life which could have been summed up in a chapter at the beginning. I don't think it is well written at all and she should have stuck to the facts instead of contradicting herself with constantly accusing everyone of being colonial or racist at every turn. It was like a straightforward version of the topic had then been rewritten by someone who being in politically correct times had to drag in politically correct issues constantly. How anyone can call DNA testing of Tutankhamun "scientific racism" is beyond me. The testing was done to find out once and for all the relationships between his family What is wrong with that. Is anyone who does DNA testing on their own family racist. NOT recommended!
April 17, 2022
If you like to read about the past like I do , and Ancient Egypt and love anything that deals with
Archaeology then this for you or a love one that's int to it or even studying it . The audiobook even comes with a PDF that is black and white photos so while your listing to the audio book , you can look at the photos like I did, which helped bring the past to life. One of the the things I loved was that the author knew her stuff and that she not only showcases the discovery of the pharaoh, but of Howard Carter, and everything in between , as well as talks about the other people who was there when the discover was made ( those I didn't knew about because it seems like their never talked about) .
Archaeology then this for you or a love one that's int to it or even studying it . The audiobook even comes with a PDF that is black and white photos so while your listing to the audio book , you can look at the photos like I did, which helped bring the past to life. One of the the things I loved was that the author knew her stuff and that she not only showcases the discovery of the pharaoh, but of Howard Carter, and everything in between , as well as talks about the other people who was there when the discover was made ( those I didn't knew about because it seems like their never talked about) .
May 6, 2022
This is a fascinating look at modern museum history through the medium of Tutankhamun’s story. As someone who has worked in museums, I deeply enjoyed the details of the various exhibits and the conservation work that happened between them, as well as the wider political context. I also appreciated the way the author weaved in her own, very relatable, personal story among the more historical facts.
Borrowed this one from the library, but I am intending to get my own copy for rereading and reference.
Borrowed this one from the library, but I am intending to get my own copy for rereading and reference.
May 12, 2022
Very informative, with pieces of Christina's life interwoven throughout. I learned a lot.
September 24, 2022
An amazing dive into Tutankhamun’s tomb discovery and its legacy. I highly recommend it if you are into Egyptology and history.
February 24, 2025
I remember learning about Ancient Egyptian history in 5th or 6th grade and falling in love with the history. The pictures I saw of Egypt (both tomb related and of the pyramids) grabbed my attention and I knew one day I would have to go there. My grandma supported my interest in ancient Egypt and bought my several books, some including Tutankhamun. In 2022 (just three months shy of the 100 year finding of Tutankhamun’s tomb) I finally went to Egypt, stood in the museum and looked at all the artifacts and the famous funerary mask, wandered through Tutankhamun’s and others tombs in Valley of the Kings, and I loved looking through all my photographs as I read through this book. “ Photographs look like facts, but they show only what passed before the lens, not what happened before and after, or whose interests the images might come to serve.“ I wish I was able to see some of Harry Burton’s photos before visiting, just to see the black and white photos and what passes before the lens as they began opening and going through the tomb items. I had no idea how powerful Tutankhamun has been, or political. I’ve heard of some stories surrounding the find but had no idea how intense relationships were or how others wanted to claim Egyptian history for themselves. “Create the image and you create the story. Control the image, and that story becomes the only story anyone can tell”. Being American I know how history is controlled through the stories people tell or allow to be told. To continue on with how Tutankhamun shaped a century, I visited the “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience” set up by National Geographic in San Diego, California in March 2023. I loved the set up and experience they made and understood where Riggs was coming from when she mentions using technology to enjoy these items and places - but nothing beats actually being there and seeing the items themselves. I agree that “to excavate is to destroy” but we also need to do some destroying to understand the past - hopefully with respects given and proper acknowledgements given. I think these new technology waves are crucial and can be helpful to those, especially children, to learn and see these items and places even if they cannot finically afford to visit them. Who knows, maybe it will spark a new child’s love of Egypt and create new Egyptologists. I greatly enjoyed this book and all the history mixed throughout to share how Tutankhamun has risen and fallen in view over the years and how we as people are still interested in everything about him and his famous death mask. I believe Tutankhamun will always be a treasure, and only time will tell if “something better, even wonderful, maybe on the way”.
August 16, 2025
I picked this up in a charity shop as I am quite interested in Egyptology and this looked like it might be quite insightful. It proved to be a very interesting take on things, recounting the excavation and discovery of Tutankhamen but also going into significant detail about the cultural implications and some of the actual difficulties with these elements of archeological discovery such as preserving and transporting relics from the tomb and how things are best handled when sharing the discoveries with the wider world. It’s well written but does get a bit repetitive at times and it was clear that the author is seriously passionate about the topic - she weaves her own personal history with the discovery into it which was quite a unique take. I do think some readers might have been a bit mislead by the title because this focuses more on what has happened to the objects since they were discovered and also the political ramifications involved with the protection of the find and whether the treasured would ever be allowed out of Egypt for public tours and what a money making agenda this could be. I think this made the book a bit too heavy reading material at times so for that reason I’ve only gone to 3 stars because I think I really wanted more about the initial discovery and I didn’t get quite what it appeared to promise and I would not re-read it again.
January 11, 2024
I'll be honest: it was just that cover that initially drew me in. That famous and beautiful eye is unmistakably familiar and choosing it as the cover of this book was genius: it turns out that there's much more than meets the eye to this cultural icon and its discovery - far more than I'd ever considered. Erudite but eminently readable, Riggs shines a new light on the world of the 1922 excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb, framing it in a wider context of history and exploring its impact on both a world-wide and a deeply personal level. I loved this book - I've been unable to put this down in the week since I purchased it - and it has had me exploring several documentaries on-line and I've ordered Riggs's book about the photographs of Harry Burton as a result. So much for not judging a book by its cover!
February 14, 2023
An interesting look at Tut mania from Carter’s discovery through the back and forth of ownership and debate over care and preservation amidst the exploitation and moneymaking business of the tours. Admired the author’s intent to look at the colonial background and cultural appropriation that took place, even if at times it seemed a little heavy handed, but nonetheless a necessary correction. And as a conservator, the author gives a lot if insight into what that entails. Which I found pretty sad to see how much the treasure aspect takes away from the human beings they were.
March 5, 2024
This book is recommended for anyone who has an interest in ancient Egyptian history and learning more about the finding of King Tut's tomb, including in depth reports and information that isn't so readily available elsewhere.
I came away from this book learning a lot more about the mystery and personal accounts about the archaeologists, historians and photographers involved in the worldwide sensation of the young pharaoh's burial and the wonderful treasures sealed inside. It was a very interesting read.
I came away from this book learning a lot more about the mystery and personal accounts about the archaeologists, historians and photographers involved in the worldwide sensation of the young pharaoh's burial and the wonderful treasures sealed inside. It was a very interesting read.
July 13, 2024
This is the first book about antiquities I’ve read that has questioned and criticized the ethics of archaeology and unburying the dead in the name of science. An excellent excellent book on Egyptology that I came to after rejecting (half read) several books that used the same tired racist comments for native populations who were systematically undereducated under colonial policies and left out of their nations’ heritage work while colonizers looted their patrimony for foreign museums. Very insightful and uplifting.
February 18, 2024
This could have been two books - The authors biography and one about Tutankahmun.
Bogged down with irrelevant and sometimes too much personal information, there was a lot of this book that was skipped.
Inclusion of amazing photography boosted this review to 3 stars.
Bogged down with irrelevant and sometimes too much personal information, there was a lot of this book that was skipped.
Inclusion of amazing photography boosted this review to 3 stars.
October 29, 2022
Nostalgic for me as I visited Egypt 2 years ago. Too detailed even for me but has many interesting facts about King Tut and the tour
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews