The Historical Review's Blog

During my freshman year, I came across the Emma B. Andrews Diary Project headed by Dr. Sarah Ketchley as a potential internship I could apply for. After being accepted as an intern, I spent the next couple of quarters reading first-hand accounts of archaeologists working in Egypt during the 19th and 20th centuries. The development of Egyptology by Western academic institutions, following the colonial histories of the state, provided a fascinating topic of study, one which I began to pursue last year.

In the past few decades, the colonial roots of Egyptology and the effects of European influence over the development of archaeology in Egypt have become an increasingly popular topic within the field. The works of authors such as Donald M. Reid and Stephen Quirke highlight the problematic origins of Egyptology as a discipline, examining the ways in which European states exploited and suppressed native Egyptian archaeologists. Utilizing the frameworks that these authors have created, my research aims to provide a more comprehensive context to the politics and drama within Egyptology and its colonial motivations. 

In my paper, I highlight the interpersonal relationships among Egyptologists, archaeologists, and politicians in 19th-20th century Egypt by analyzing first-hand accounts of notable figures in Egyptology. In particular, I look at four individuals whose reputations have been characterized by their racist and colonialist approaches to Egyptology: Victor Loret, Jacques de Morgan, Auguste Mariette, and Flinders Petrie. The main sources I use in my research include the diaries of Emma B. Andrews, mistress of millionaire lawyer-turned-excavator Theodore M. Davis, and a collection of correspondence letters by Arthur Weigall, a British Egyptologist. I also rely on other direct accounts from Egyptologists Archibald Sayce and Heinrich Brugsch to provide additional insights into the relationships of the above figures in Egyptology. My paper showcases the often-contradictory perceptions of these individuals in public and private settings and how their reputations influenced their standing in Egyptology. Although the individuals I highlight were highly respected in their academic fields and wielded considerable influence and power in Egypt, by compiling reports that inform how these controversial figures were perceived by their colleagues, I attempt to add another dimension to the growing conversation of problematic histories in Egyptology.