The Modern Neighbors of Tutankhamun: History, Life, and Work in the Villages of the Theban West Bank

by Kees van der Spek

Overview

Until their recent demolition, the colorful mud-brick hamlets of al-Qurna village, situated among the Noble Tombs of the Theban Necropolis on the Luxor West Bank, were home to a vibrant community. Inhabiting a place of intensive Egyptological research for over two centuries, it was inevitable that Qurnawis should become part of the history of Egyptology and the development of archaeological practice in the Theban Necropolis. But they have mostly been regarded as laborers for the excavation teams or dealers in the illicit antiquities trade. The modern people inhabiting the ancient burial grounds have themselves rarely been considered. By demonstrating the multiplicity of economic activities that are carried out in al-Qurna, this study counters the villagers’ stereotypical representation as tomb robbers, and restores an understanding of who they are as people living their lives in the shadow of valued cultural heritage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617975646
Publisher:	American University in Cairo Press, The
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	52 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kees van der Spek is an independent scholar who lives and works in Canberra, Australia.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xi

List of Tables xv

Foreword Kent R. Weeks xvii

Acknowledgments and an Invitation xxi

Notes on Transliteration xxxi

Prologue: A Theban Sound-scape 1

Introduction: Fieldwork in the Territory of Others 5

1 Ancient Remains as Life's Stage: Differing Perspectives on Life in the Theban Necropolis 17

2 The Natural and Social Setting of the Theban West Bank Communities 39

3 Early European Travelers and the Emergence of the Theban Communities inConsciousness of the West 53

4 "Injustice to the Inhabitants of Gournei": European Presence and Its Literary Record 79

5 Protected Space as Domestic Place: Human Presence and the Emergence of the Built Environment in the Theban Necropolis 135

6 Qurnawi Foothills Architecture: Footprint, Form, and Function 157

7 Agriculture, Conflict, and the Maintenance of Stable Social Relations 172

8 All in a Season's Work: Egyptology-Induced Labor Relations at al-Hurubat 216

9 Faked Antikas and 'Modern Antiques': Artistic Expression in the Villages of the Theban West Bant 247

10 Contemporary Spirituality and Traditional Beliefs in the Theban Necropolis 289

11 The Ethnography of Eviction 319

Conclusions and a Challenge 347

Appendix 1 Ethnography in Sensitive Surroundings: Notes on Life and Work among the Tombs 355

Appendix 2 Theban Mapping Project Aerial Photographs 369

Appendix 3 English Translation of Carla Burri's Italian The Anonymous Venetian Text 381

Appendix 4 Extract from Howard Carter's Autobiographical Sketch V 383

Appendix 5 A Petition from the People of Qurna to the Egyptian Government 387

Appendix 6 Art and Craft Production at al-Qurna 389

Notes 399

Bibliography 443

Index 467

Editorial Reviews

"a brilliant anthropological fieldwork study, a triumph in recording the life of a vibrant community as it faces destruction."—Peter A. Clayton, Ancient Egypt

From the Publisher