'Answering the calls of the living' : collaborative practice in archaeology and ancient Egyptian daily life exhibitions in Western museums
Western museum displays of Egyptology are in need of an overhaul. The study of the ancient Egyptian past and the methods by which museums represent this past are affected by over two hundred years of Western tradition. This tradition, founded in a time of nation-building, led to the establishment of a narrow set of understandings of ancient Egypt. Focused on elite individuals, death and religious practices, early Egyptological scholarship and museum display created an environment in which the public could do little more than stare in awe. While distancing ancient Egypt from the familiar, Western ownership acted as a symbol of power within eighteenth century politics. Claiming the worldâs greatest ancient civilisation for its own, the West divorced living Egyptians from this heritage through powerful Orientalising discourse which denied them links with the ancient culture since the coming of Islam. Today, the strength of these first associations is still evident in Egyptology museum displays, which prioritise elite lifestyles and death above more accessible daily life narratives and continue to ignore Egyptian perspectives on the past. This thesis, therefore, presents new strategies for the exhibition of
Tully, Gemma
CC Archaeology
'Answering the calls of the living' : collaborative practice in archaeology and ancient Egyptian daily life exhibitions in Western museums. Western museum displays of Egyptology are in need of an overhaul. The study of the ancient Egyptian past and the methods by which museums represent this past are affected by over two hundred years of Western tradition. This tradition, founded in a time of nation-building, led to the establishment of a narrow set of understandings of ancient Egypt. Focused on elite individuals, death and religious practices, early Egyptological scholarship and museum display created an environment in which the public could do little more than stare in awe. While distancing ancient Egypt from the familiar, Western ownership acted as a symbol of power within eighteenth century politics. Claiming the worldâs greatest ancient civilisation for its own, the West divorced living Egyptians from this heritage through powerful Orientalising discourse which denied them links with the ancient culture since the coming of Islam. Today, the strength of these first associations is still evident in Egyptology museum displays, which prioritise elite lifestyles and death above more accessible daily life narratives and continue to ignore Egyptian perspectives on the past. This thesis, therefore, presents new strategies for the exhibition of
answering call live collaborative practice archaeology ancient_egyptian daily_life exhibition western museum western museum_display egyptology need study ancient_egyptian past method museum represent past affected western_tradition tradition found time nation_building lead_establishment narrow set understandings ancient_egypt focused elite individual death religious_practice early egyptological scholarship museum display created environment public could little distance ancient_egypt familiar western ownership act symbol power within politics world great ancient_civilisation west divorce live egyptians heritage powerful orientalising discourse deny link ancient culture since come islam today strength first association still evident egyptology museum_display prioritise elite lifestyle death accessible daily_life narrative continue ignore egyptian perspective past therefore present_new strategy exhibition