Brian Fagan's The Rape of the Nile - Tomb Robbers, Tourists, and Archaeologists in Egypt - Book Report/Review Example

The chapter “The Destruction of the Pharaohs” discusses how much of the heritage of the pharaohs was destroyed by tomb robbers and casual tourism. As the pharaohs were laid in their tombs with considerable wealth, the first tomb robbers were contemporary Egyptians themselves. Later, tourists would be responsible for much of the destruction of the remnants of the civilization they were seeking to catch a glimpse of: “Egyptology became a fashionable subject or the wealthy and curious” (11). Herodotus is discussed in “The Father of History and the First Tourists.” Even during Herodotus’ time, the Egyptians civilization was considered to be remarkable, powerful, and stable. Herodotus was respected during his time as well, and though his standards don’t measure up to modern standards, “A mass of information and misinformation resulted from Herodotus’ leisurely journey”(16), the writings on Egypt do allow a certain amount of insight into the ancient culture, at least how it was viewed by an outside civilization. Because of the information and misinformation that Herodotus recorded, he inspired many other tourists to embark on journeys to see Egypt as well. “Mummy is Become Merchandise” discusses how the Egyptian relics, and most importantly mummies, became commodities for the wealthy. As the Egyptian civilization crumbled and came under the rule both Christians and Arabs, the relics were not treated with the respect that they deserved. Mummies in particular were desecrated: “The Egyptians themselves broke up mummy cases for firewood and sold the corpses for medicinal purposes” (44). They were used as medicine for centuries, even all the way up until the 1970’s. This issue is discussed furthermore in “He Will Make a Collection.” While the previous chapter outlined how Egyptian relics were destroyed, this chapter discusses the extent to which rich collectors went to gather various Egyptian antiquities: “The serious business of collecting antiquities had really begun in the sixteenth century” (50). Hieroglyphics were also of particular interest to travelers and scholars, and there were various theories about where they originated from, one theory including China. “A Dead Language You Cannot Understand” talks about how, though Europe and the United States were in the middle of a technological explosion, Egypt remained nearly forgotten until Napoleon Bonaparte. After military expeditions into Egypt, France was responsible for much scientific and academic interest in the country. Of course, British and French tourists, archaeologists, and collectors took whatever they found without any reparations to the Egyptian government, including the Rosetta Stone. The artifact still has not been displayed in Egypt. Giovanni Belzoni is the topic of “The Patagonian Sampson.” Known as the French Hercules, Belzoni was a familiar figure in many traveling circus circuits. Upon meeting Captain Gibraltar, Belzoni was introduced to Europe. Belzoni’s introduction to Egypt came in the form of a cheap and efficient water pump that was powered by a single ox as opposed to older models that required whole teams of oxen. “A Connaisseur in Hydrauliks” continues the story of Belzoni. One of the few Europeans living in Cairo, lived in the European quarter which was sectioned off from the rest of the city by large wooden gates. The pump designed by Belzoni took much longer to build than anticipated due to various riots and mutinies. The pump proved to be dangerous a it flung a child from it, breaking his leg. “The Young Memnon” goes on to discuss the attempts to bring the head depicting Ramesses II back to Europe. The story of the transport of the head is continued on through “A Nubian Journey,” along with their searches for more treasure. One of the other treasures they took include the statue of the goddess Sakmet in black granite. This section of the book is called “The Greatest Plunderer of Them All,” and he was by far able to achieve more in the shortest amount of time: “His unique qualifications derived from circus and theater gave him an advantage in moving large antiquities which even Napoleon’s armies had failed to shift” (154). Belzoni was responsible for the drive in Egyptian wealth and relics. “The Most Magnificent of Temples” discusses Belzoni and his work in the Great Temple of Amun. Also, it outlines his work in Kurneh: “Mummies were one of Belzoni’s primary targets at Kurneh” (165). Belzoni was in fact so successful in his finds that he inspired much concern and jealousy. His chief rival of the time was Consul Drovetti. Abu Simmel was another temple that Belzoni found, yet it afforded few antiquities that could be transported, so drawings were attempted to be made. “This Beautiful and Invaluable Piece of Antiquity” discusses his efforts in the Valley of Kings. The book states that Belzoni had at this point developed an intuitive instinct for finding good sites: “Belzoni had developed an instinct for discovery, a ‘nose’ for new sites based on wide field experience and that intangible instinct that leads archaeologists to contemplate an area in detail” (179). The chapter describes a tomb that Belzoni found that later turned out to be the tomb of Sethy I, who was the father of Ramesses II. The tomb had been robbed previously, but there were paintings and an alabaster sarcophagus which was different from what had previously been seen by European archaeologists. “Pyramidical Brains” finds Belzoni wishing to return to the Valley of Kings, though he was short on money and his wife was tiring of the Nile and wished to see Jerusalem. They received news that their old friend, Burchardt, who had enabled Belzoni to embark on his original archaeological journeys, had died from dysentery. He needed to allocate funds for further expeditions and had to turn to selling antiquities that Salt had arranged for him. The next big dig that Belzoni went on was the Second Pyramid. “In Search of Old Berenice” discusses the excavation of the city of Berenice: “The mystery of Berenice was now cleared up and Cailliaud’s discovery placed in the correct perspective. The journey was somewhat successful as they did not lose any men and it bolstered Belzoni’s reputation and esteem. “The Obelisk of Philae” discusses the developments in Kurneh which turned Belzoni’s attention there. A party composed of Belzoni, Baron Sack, and William John Bankes decided to take a trip to transport the obelisk which had been claimed in Salt’s name to Cairo. A later expedition marked the last time that the Belzonis would be in Thebes. The final Egyptian journey was different from previous trips in that it was a small party. Belzoni was thankful to be leaving Egypt finally, not because of any of the difficulties that he encountered from the natives, “but of some Europeans who are in that country, whose conduct and mode of thinking are a disgrace to human nature. The final chapter detailing Belzoni’s experiences is “A Multitude of Collateral Curiosities.” As the author mentions, Belzoni left Egypt at a time when interest in Ancient Egypt was at an absolute all-time high. Belzoni, shortly upon reaching home, wrote a book detailing his experiences in Egypt, Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs, and Excavations, in Egypt and Nubia. He went on to show exhibitions of his work and discoveries. They were immediately successful, and Belzoni was extremely busy negotiating with various museums. Belzoni eventually left on another expedition in Africa, though he contracted a severe case of dysentery and died a week later. The rest of the chapter goes on to detail the legacy of Belzoni’s exploits in Europe, including which countries benefited from his expeditions: “The only loser was Egyptology” (248). The first chapter, “A Violent Passion,” of the last chapter, “Assault on Antiquity,” outlines how Belzoni was replaced with thousands of amateur collectors and tourists looking to duplicate his accomplishments. The book compares this period as an outright rape and pillaging of Ancient Egyptian culture: “He and his rivals had started a scramble for Egyptian antiquities which soon expanded to a rape of massive proportions” (251). The chapter goes on to mention several of these main collectors, including Anthony Charles Harris, Sebastien Louis Saulnier, and Jean Baptiste Lelorrain. The reason that collectors like these were so easily able to obtain s many Egyptian antiquities was because so many European museums were willing to pay for extensive collections as Egyptian antiquities were the current rage, and Egypt was currently controlled by the Turkish government, which saw no need to preserve the Egyptian heritage and used the interest in these artifacts to its advantage. Eventually Mohammed Ali published an ordinance banning all removal of Egyptian antiquities at the behest of Jean Francois Champollion pleas, though unfortunately the ordinance was hardly enforceable and did little to curb collectors. “There is One More Powerful Than I” discusses those who followed Champollion who helped to legitimize and found Egyptology, curbing the outright pillaging of various sites and helping in the deciphering of hieroglyphics and the keeping of better records. John Gardner Wilkinson and Robert Hay were two such men who were interested in the preservation of Egyptian artifacts. These men, along with others, helped usher in a period where Egyptologists were more “concerned with chronology and inscriptions” (267) than they were with their own financial gains. August Mariette, who did much single-handedly to ensure Egypt’s heritage through a museum, is also discussed extensively in the latter half of the chapter. “In the British Museum He is Placed beyond the Reach of All Such Evils” discusses the change in the military and political climate in Egypt that took place after Mariette’s death. The British and French governments took considerably more interest in the region after the building of the Suez canal, and took many steps to ensure that their interests were served in various manners. As the country was left with massive debt from previous incompetent rulers, the British economist Lord Cromer paced the Egyptian government on a strict budget in order to resolve this problem, of course, this included the Antiquities department of the government as well. The French, after the death of Mariette, were concerned with the French legacy in Egpytology, so they installed Gaston Maspero into a position of influence in the Antiquities department. The chapter details many of his dealings with attempts to plunder various important archaeological sites, including his predecessor’s direct dealings with Wallis Budge. “A Boating Trip Interspersed with Ruins” discusses how Egypt became a popular tourist destination for many people, rich and less affluent alike. Various travel routes were available to tourists, including trains and boats. The dry climate also served to attract those who wished to escape the harsh weather of Europe and recuperate while enjoying the pleasures of Egypt. The Suez Canal also served a purpose of placing Cairo at the center of the tourist industry. Amelia Edwards’ dealings with Egypt are also detailed in this chapter, discussing how “her pen was a powerful weapon in molding public opinion about Ancient Egypt” (321). “Inscriptions, Objects, Positions, and Probabilities” begins with Flinders Petrie’s interest in the Egyptian pyramids. He planned on performing in-depth surveys of the pyramids, and as he had no initial plans on excavating, he had no difficulty in obtaining permits to do so. This work led him to deplore the current conditions under which most of the excavating was taking place, and so he determined that he would put much effort into careful excavating in order to preserve the pyramids. Petrie was responsible for numerous important archaeological finds, including the famous plaster bust of Queen Nefertity. As such, “Petrie did far more than found an English school of Egyptology and introduce reputable excavation methods into the Nile Valley” (357). The epilogue succinctly sums up many of the major events and players who have shaped the face of Egyptology. Furthermore, it ponders the future of such studies and discusses the extent to which attitudes have changed from the initial rape of the Nile Valley and how they have stayed the same to a certain extent. The presentation of the information provided in the book follows a mostly chronological manner. This makes sense as the subject of the book escalates as the gradual rush for Egyptian artifacts which ended up with a complete free-for-all. The second section of the book, as it concentrates mostly on Belzoni, drags out a bit as it goes into minute detail about the expeditions. It is important, though, to follow the precise patterns that Belzoni established as there were so many to follow him. The general readability of the book is good, though it tends to be rather dry at times. There are extensive details given which can to an extent be overwhelming, though this helps to give a clearer picture of the subject matter. Fagan’s argument is sound as there is hardly any other way to see the behavior of Europeans in Egypt. He is not completely biased, of course, as he mentions how the Egyptians themselves were the first to raid tombs and destroy various artifacts and antiquities. This, however, is a general pattern that can be seen any time Europeans went anywhere, from the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The kind of general disregard for the culture which they were claiming to be fascinated with and yet at the same time were destroying is hardly any different from how Mayans or Incans were treated. There were so many antiquities that were taken to Europe without any kind of restitution made. It is even more troubling to think about how so many treasures were taken, and by the time Egypt was in a position to actually preserve its history, the country was so troubled by debt that it had difficulty in establishing museums and the Antiquities department which would serve preserve its past. This makes the book extremely relevant in its establishing a pattern along with the typical European ventures into foreign lands. Simply considering all the artifacts from Egypt lining the walls of museums or various private collections might make people think that the relationship between Europeans and Egypt was somewhat different than with other countries, though realizing that most of those artifacts were taken without any restitution to the country from which they came, along with a general disregard and the destruction of many other artifacts. There is a lot that is known about Ancient Egypt, but as the book points out, there would have been so much more that we could have know if the various expeditions of Belzoni, his rivals, and his predecessors had generally been carried out with more regard for Egypt and its past. Works Cited Fagan, Brian, The Rape of the Nile: Tomb Robbers, Tourists, and Archaeologists in Egypt. New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1975. Read More