Excavating the secret of the Nile’s history
LACMA’s new exhibit features contributions of American
researchers in revealing Egypt’s past
Relief depiction of MentuememhetBy Dawnya Pring
Contrary to popular belief, Indiana Jones is not the only
American who
has probed the depths of Egypt’s sacred tombs.
Not unlike the big screen idol, many American archaeologists
are
real-life adventurers unmasking treasures along the Nile. "The
American
Discovery of Ancient Egypt," a major exhibition premiering at
the L.A.
County Museum of Art, focuses on the contribution of these
American
scholars.
LACMA, along with the American Research Center in Egypt, hopes
to remedy
the misconception that the most significant discoveries in
Egyptology have
been made by Europeans. This show is the first to highlight the
work of
American archaeologists by displaying their photographs,
journals, and
drawings along with their finds.
The show successfully gives hard-working American scholars their
due
respect. But its narrow premise only allows LACMA to represent a
partial
view of Egypt’s complex monuments and rich historical
phases.
More than 250 artifacts are organized chronologically, rather
than by
the different archeological digs in which they were found.
Unfortunately,
there isn’t enough in the exhibit to justify this method of
organization.
The collection traverses a time period spanning four millennia.
While
Americans can’t claim every artifact and site ever discovered in
Egypt, the
limited amount of objects in this exhibit falsely purports to
represent the
full spectrum of Egypt’s sophisticated art and architecture.
While many people’s idea of this art and architecture comes from
coffee
table books about the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb by
British
archaeologists, countless other objects have been found by
Americans in
Egypt’s ancient sands.
This American interest began in 1899 when Californian Phoebe
Apperson
Hearst, wife of mining millionaire George Randolph Hearst, was
the first to
underwrite an expedition to Egypt.
The expedition was led by George Andrew Reisner, then at UC
Berkeley.
Reisner is considered to be the founding father of American
Egyptian
archaeology. Many of the images lining the gallery walls in this
show were
discovered by him.
Reisner is famous for his work at Giza, a massive pyramid and
tomb
complex where he excavated 425 private tombs known as mastabas.
A rare
funerary relief of a high-ranking women named Nofer, which forms
part of
LACMA’s exhibit, was one of the objects he found at Giza. The
limestone
slab lists the many expensive garments Nofer could expect to
acquire in her
afterlife. Excavated objects like this one help archaeologists
piece
together a picture of royal court life and the political
structure of that
time.
Most of the images on display have been preserved in these
courtiers’
tombs. Luckily for modern day scholars, Egyptians believed they
needed the
daily equipment of their earthly life in order to prosper and
enjoy their
afterlife. Even citizens who couldn’t afford tombs and expensive
burials
would often have themselves wrapped and buried with a necklace
or some
other special object.
An elaborate coffin lid of a 26th dynasty official who didn’t
spare any
expense guards the museum entrance. The sarcophagus, purchased
by William
Randolph Hearst at the turn of the century, typifies the
beginnings of
American interest in Egypt. Wealthy collectors traveling to
Egypt in
the18th and 19th centuries acquired objects like the imposing
sarcophagus
to decorate their homes.
This interest eventually led rich patrons to fund serious
scholarship
like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston’s 1923 excavation at
Coptos. In
return, the patrons would receive part of the treasure unearthed
by the
scholars.
One of the highlights of the show, an immense 12-ton sandstone
gateway
covered with hieroglyphic reliefs, is a direct result of this
excavation at
Coptos. The structure was discovered dismantled for use as
foundation fill.
This is the first time the public has ever had the opportunity
to see the
blocks reconstructed in their original form, a monumental
freestanding
gateway.
The hieroglyphs on the monument depict King Ptolemy making
offerings to
a plethora of Egyptian deities, a scene that helps
archaeologists to
understand ancient religious practices. The brown blocks are
excellently
preserved with remnants of red and blue pigment.
This and other objects come together to form an exhibit that
provides
the museum-goer with a fascinating link to objects that are
3,000 to 4,000
years old. The unraveling of Egypt’s sophisticated culture is
presented
with a twist, through the courageous and spirited eyes of
American scholars
and patrons. ART: "The American Discovery of Ancient Egypt" at
LACMA
through Jan. 21. For more info, call (213) 857-6000.