Contesting Antiquity in Egypt

Donald Malcolm Reid is author of Whose Pharaohs? Archaeologies, Museums, and Egyptian National Identity from Napoleon to World War I and Cairo University and the Making of Modern Egypt, among other works. He is professor emeritus, Georgia State University, and affiliate professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, University of Washington.

"[A] major accomplishment."—Kenneth M. Cuno, Journal for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities“An important work for Egyptologists all around the world . . . it stands out as a major contribution to the history of Egyptology in a wider, political context.”—Dan Deac, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology“Professor Donald Malcolm Reid is one of the most prolific scholars in the field of modern Egyptian history. This work fills in a major lacuna, the role of Egyptians in archaeology and the museum world during the first half of the 20th century.” —Jere Bacharach, University of Washington“A very important contribution to the development of, and changes in, the perception of our national culture as viewed by the West and how this vision affected Egyptians and Egyptian archaeology. . . promises to be as important in its field as Whose Pharaohs? has been.” —Fayza Haikal, The American University in Cairo“Contesting Antiquity in Egypt would be of interest to scholars across humanistic disciplines. It will act as a valuable reference to those studying symbols of national ideology as well as ones scavenging for minute bibliographical information on a great many twentieth-century Egyptian cultural movers.”—Arab Studies Quarterly“A valuable piece of scholarship: not only in terms of the history of archaeology and museums in Egypt, but also concerning how we think about the making of the past in formerly colonized countries.”—William Carruthers, Public Archaeology“Highly recommended. . . . Of particular importance is Reid’s emphasis on Egyptian scholars who pioneered the study of the above fields and the role they played in wresting control of Egyptology from earlier French, British, German, and US colonial dominance. Of equal interest is the constant tension and rivalry between French and British archaeologists for control of Egyptology and their role in subordinating indigenous scholarship. Intrigues to control the news related to the discovery of Tutankhamen, controversies regarding the division of archaeological remains, and personal hostilities between famed archaeologists all make for an interesting read.”—Choice“Reid, who always has a good eye for an anecdote, shows how impossible it is to separate culture from the imperial machinations and rivalries of the time. . . . The really important thing about Reid’s new book is that he brings the often neglected contributions of Egyptian scholars into this narrative.”—Raphael Cormack, Apollo“A fascinating history of historians.”—AramcoWorld"Reid’s groundbreaking study on the interrelationship of ancient Egyptian archaeology or heritage and modern Egyptian national identity . . . is rendered easily accessible to the reader."—Bibliotheca Orientalis

• Introduction Part ICh. 1 Egyptology and Pharaonism in Egypt before TutankhamunCh. 2 Nationalizing TutankhamunCh. 3 Western Egyptology in Egypt in the Wake of TutankhamunCh. 4 Egyptian Egyptology and Pharaonism in the Wake of TutankhamunPart IICh. 5 Consuming Antiquity: Tourism between Two Revolutions, 1919-1952Ch. 6 In the Shadow of Egyptology: Islamic Art and Archaeology to 1952Ch. 7 Copts and Archaeology: Sons of St. Mark/ Sons of the PharaohsCh. 8 Alexandria, Egypt, and the Greco-Roman HeritagePart IIICh. 9 Contesting Egyptology in the 1930sCh. 10 Pharaonism and Its Challengers in the 1930s and 1940sCh. 11 Egyptology in the Twilight of Empire and Monarchy, 1939-1952Ch. 12 ConclusionBibliography