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shanaqui's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Maria Golia's A Short History of Tomb-Raiding is a slow, thorough thinking through of the different times and political/economic climates in which Egypt's tombs have been plundered. Often we think of early archaeologists and antiquarians, or even current archaeologists where big institutions are trying to grab and keep priceless, culturally important objects, but Golia begins in the past.
It's a bit of a dry read, ultimately, but it's more sympathetic to the Egyptian tomb raiders who raid their own ancestors' tombs than most accounts. Sure, they destroy context and thus knowledge -- but there's a reason they do what they do, mostly grinding poverty.
I'd honestly expected more commentary on European thieves, though; in one way this really centres the Egyptians themselves, but... European demand is also a huge part of that, and even men like Petrie (who was at least methodical) were digging among the bones of someone else's ancestors, and not always sharing that knowledge with the descendents.
It's a bit of a dry read, ultimately, but it's more sympathetic to the Egyptian tomb raiders who raid their own ancestors' tombs than most accounts. Sure, they destroy context and thus knowledge -- but there's a reason they do what they do, mostly grinding poverty.
I'd honestly expected more commentary on European thieves, though; in one way this really centres the Egyptians themselves, but... European demand is also a huge part of that, and even men like Petrie (who was at least methodical) were digging among the bones of someone else's ancestors, and not always sharing that knowledge with the descendents.
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