Harvard Radcliffe Institute Workshop, Digging for Diversity in Egyptology: Assessing the Arabic Diaries of the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Excavations in Egypt and Sudan (1913-1947), held in Cambridge, MA, 29-30 June 2023
The field of Egyptology is at the forefront of a crisis in the humanities, facing challenges in relevance to current social and academic discourse. As 2022 marked the centenary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 and the bicentenary of the decipherment of hieroglyphs in 1822, it presented a unique opportunity for reassessments of the field. Thanks especially to a unique and unpublished collection of 73 Arabic excavation diaries written by archaeological technicians from Quft as part of the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition archive in the early twentieth century, an unprecedented opportunity exists to raise public awareness about the diversity of Egyptian contributions to the history of Egyptology. This intensive, two-day workshop held at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute in Cambridge, MA, on 29-30 June 2023, brought together an interdisciplinary team of Egyptologists, historians, archaeologists, Arabists, museum curators, and digital humanities specialists to assess the best methods for making this unique Arabic Excavation Archive from Quft accessible to a wide scholarly and public audience. The workshop was attended in person and online by an international group of researchers aimed at shaping the project’s priorities for research, publication, and open access going forward.
Two new books featuring the work of five project members published in 2023
Walking among Pharaohs: George Reisner and the Dawn of Modern Egyptology, published by Oxford University Press, is the first full-length biography of American archaeologist, George Reisner. Written by project director, Peter Der Manuelian, the book situates Reisner’s life and career within the wider context of the HU-MFA Expedition and its role in shaping the history of Egyptology. Read more from Harvard about the book’s release.
Addressing Diversity: Inclusive Histories of Egyptology, an edited volume published by Zaphon, is “dedicated to the ‘supporting characters’ in the history of Egyptology who are not often in the limelight…meant as an appreciation and recognition of the range of agents involved, and relationships within their networks.” It includes, among many important new studies, contributions on the work of several Egyptian Egyptologists and Quftis by project collaborators Marleen De Meyer, Noha Mahran, Mostafa Tolba, and Wendy Doyon.