Secrets Of Egypts Valley Of The Kings.

[Caran]

I don't think I agree with what happens in these programmes. We wouldn't like it if foreigners came over here and dug up our graves and removed body parts.
I have no problem with exploring and investigating the tombs as long as no damage is done. What do ABers think?

[Old_Geezer]

Not watched the programme but I think it's in everyone's interest to learn. If a government can't find the resources to investigate for themselves then there's no reason not to allow others to investigate. Archeologists should get permission though, not just raid.

[zebo]

I think that all digs etc are closely supervised by the Egyptian Departmnent of Antiquities these days, or whatever it's now called, and they claim any finds, so it seems that they're getting foreigners to do all the hard, expensive work for them!

[tiggerblue10]

I'm sure it will generate a lot of money/profit for them.

[naomi24]

They can't just go and dig. They have to get permission to do whatever they're doing.

[campbellking]

It is far more strictly regulated now and the Egyptian authorities have stopped inappropriate acquisition of antiquities

[Zacs-Master]

Someone nicked some old stuff From Greece a while ago And the authorities lost their marbles.

[Peter Pedant]

// They can't just go and dig. They have to get permission to do whatever they're doing.//

yup exactly

You have concessions - which of course you have always bid for competitively - I think even Maspero and Belzoni had to cough up ( 1850s).
and then you go along and excavate it for a few years ( the length granted which may be decades) - whether or not the moolah ( er money that is!) goes into the pocket of the Minister of Antiquities ( used to be one Zaki Hawass ) is neither here or there

Petri used labourers from Quft ( guft ) who were called quftis ( guftees ) [ someone asked for chrissakes - someone asked ] and these are still in demand for the English archelogists ( hey but do they have any money ?) . Those widda moolah ( Americans ) can hitch a ride on someone elses concession ( Polish or English) they pay and get to direct where to excavate. I got to speak qufti arabic really well

A site is routinely destroyed as it is excavated and this leads to the importance of writing up ones site. (*)

The minister will have his placeman on the site ( ministry appointee) and heard him (our one) threatening the workers with condign punishment if they didnt bloody well do as he said. Oo-er Mrs !

There is a divison of objaaaayz at a meeting at the end - and two piles of objects are compiled almost the same ( so it doesnt matter which the ministry takes) - the Egyptian one disappears into the maw of the National Museum.

The other one is taken back and further divided between those supply the money - in our case - the Egypt Exploration Society, Smithsonian and Warsaw Technical University. The EES museum - Doughty Mews was on Prof Hutton Hidden Museums prog a few weeks ago

Odd things do occur: here is our site report
Anderson, R. and Adams, W.Y. (1979) 'Qasr Ibrim, 1978', JEA 65: 30–41.

and here is a ceramics report on what we found
https://tetisheri.co.uk/portfolio/adams-wy-and-alexander-j-qasr-ibrim-the-ottoman-period/
not yet published 2017

christ that is a bit of a gap innit? - petri started it - liked excavating but not writing

yes you have your own little expert on Christian archeology in southern egypt ( 0 to 1500 AD) nestling quite unknown in the background, like a petit fleur - weeeeeed!

as Anderson once said - christ this is Egypt - who is interested in AD?

[Peter Pedant]

oops Petri should have an 'e' on the end
confused wiv Petri Dish and covid - sozza
AND
yeah foo ! anyone evva been fired?
No not in my generation - BUT flame haired Joanne Fletcher was er somethinged - mothballed

Nice telegenic flame red hair BUT her metier was:
this is the tomb of Nefertiti - anything gainst?
well X Y and Z - but we can explain this .....
so this is the tomb of Nefertiti anything ELSE against
C D and E - yup they dont cpunt so
I can now conclude this is the tomb of Nefertiti

and even the Antiquities; dept clocked the non sequitur

Wiki - "Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, subsequently banned her from working in Egypt because he said "Dr Fletcher has broken the rules".

Jesus in Egpt nowadays it is dog eat dog innit?

[jackthehat]

I worked on quite a lot of UK digs most of which involved the discovering of graves. When such a discovery was made, the 'regular' digger made way for a more senior Archaeologist who would supervise the uncovering and handling of the skeleton. This was always done with what could be termed 'great reverence' and there were strict procedures to follow (most of which are far too boring to make good TV). Arrangements were also made for the re-interment of the bones with an appropriate dedication where necessary.

The manner in which the Ancient Egyptians buried their dead continues to fascinate and educate the rest of the world which is why there are so many TV hours dedicated to 'this theory or that'.

The remains ought to be handled respectfully and I would like to believe that the vast majority actually are......off camera.

[piggynose]

Zm 10.51 lol

[bednobs]

They did make me laugh when they talked with such revulsion about grave robbers and I thought well what are you doing then

[douglas9401]

Seems like a lot of fuss over a pyramid scheme.

[zebo]

//Someone nicked some old stuff From Greece a while ago And the authorities lost their marbles.//
And the ones that were left behind, and there were a lot, were destroyed by the massive amount of pollution or by the invading Turks but apparently that's OK. Luckily some were protected and saved.

[ABerrant]

"...//Someone nicked some old stuff From Greece a while ago And the authorities lost their marbles.//
...And the ones that were left behind, and there were a lot, were destroyed by the massive amount of pollution or by the invading Turks..."

To be fair, the Turks occupying the Acropolis accidentally exploded Pericles' Propylaea in 1656, however it was Venetians attacking the Turks in 1687 who caused the detonation of the Parthenon, severely damaging the frieze.

"...Luckily some were protected and saved."

Although the British Museum did misguidedly think it appropriate to clean (or rather scour) the 'marbles' using wire wool.