Ebook: Signs and Wonders Upon Pharaoh: A History of American Egyptology

Since the founding of this country Americans have been fascinated with ancient Egypt. Thomas Jefferson was eager to learn all he could about it. He had little success, but during the Civil War a Connecticut Yankee actually set up a house in the temple of Luxor. Later, I Rhode Island Copper magnet with a monopoly on Excavating the Valley of the Kings May 1stof the great tomb discoveries. I member of the notorious New York tweeding who fled to Egypt to escape indictment was called in his lifetime the "Best Egyptologist living." these are some of the anecdotes in this engaging account of America's share in the exploration of ancient Egypt. The story starts with a brief sketch of what happened to the Egyptian monuments after their ancient Glory millennial neglect and the tale of robbers, fences, and foreigners carrying off mummies, papyri, and statues and goes on to the great days of the amateur archaeologists after Napoleon's Expedition in their disappearance following the invasion of the professionals. Professor Wilson's account of the modern. Centers on the careers and personalities of America's three greatest Egyptologist, George a Reisner of Harvard, James H breasted of Chicago, and Herbert e Winlock of the Metropolitan Museum. It touches also on the modern political history of Egypt and the general progress of Egyptology and archaeology in other countries. The author believes that present American work in Egypt usher in a new brilliant period of Egyptology.