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Lädt ... Ten Years Digging in Egyptvon W. M. Flinders Petrie
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Among the leading Egyptologists of his day, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. Pioneering in his rigorous recording of evidence, Petrie wrote prolifically throughout his long career and is credited with bringing his subject to a wider audience. A great many of his other publications are also reissued in this series. First published in 1892 and intended for non-specialists, this highly readable book summarises Petrie's recent work in Egypt, including his surveying of the pyramids of Giza and his discovery of the city of Naukratis in the Nile Delta. Illustrated throughout with detailed line drawings, this work sheds much light on Petrie's influential approach as well as the technological and artistic achievements of ancient Egyptian civilisation. It will appeal to those who wish to learn about the birth of modern Egyptology and the methods of its founding father. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)932History and Geography Ancient World Ancient Egypt to 640Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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I'd say it's not for the casual reader; Petrie's writing is clear but not particularly enjoyable. He assumes his reader has some familiarity with Egyptology, and a map of the sites he discusses would have been a great help. It is, however, illustrated on almost every page with line drawings of the buildings and artifacts under discussion.
The book ends with a few general chapters on the implications of his findings, the art of scientific excavation (of which he was the first and greatest pioneer), and, heaven help us, "The Fellah", meaning working-class Egyptians. The former chapters have some interest, and the latter chapter is a compound of the smugness, racism, and misunderstanding you would expect from your standard bigoted Victorian gentleman. Then comes a few fascinating pages of his 19th century Rough Guide to backpacking in Egypt!
He also makes some references to his dodgy "dynastic race" theories; it was a common opinion of the day that Africans could not have developed a culture as advanced as the Egyptians'. Therefore, it must have originated with a (cough white cough ) tall, aquiline-nosed so-called "dynastic race" who invaded and civilised all the poor benighted natives. This theory has long been out of favour in Egyptological circles. Repugnant as his views are (and Petrie's belief in eugenics, not discussed in this book) they were, of course, fairly common in Victorian England.
Most enjoyable are the rare glimpses into Victorian life and archaeology: Petrie waxing nostalgic about bedding down in a nice cool tomb; Petrie spitting out festering mouthfuls of water in a half-submerged shaft, trying to drag the lid off a sarcophagus; and my wondering exactly what he meant when he tells us he "stripped" to perform a survey in a filthy tomb full of Late Period mummies.
A mixed bag of a book, then; only for people with a particular interest in Victorian Egyptology. ( )