"Do not prefer the son of a somebody to an ordinary man" : collaborative archaeology and the representation of the Egyptian past in museum displays

Abstract

Community archaeology requires major conceptual work. Whilst important advances have been made in analysing the methodological principles of the field, much still remains to be articulated on the central epistemological or theoretical basis of the idea of community archaeology. Integral to this particular endeavour is a close examination of just how a 'community' may be involved in the portrayal of the stories revolving around their heritage. I address this through a study focusing upon the manners in which Egyptian heritage has been represented. The topic of presenting the ancient past of Egypt has received little scholarly examination and the portrayal of the heritage of Egypt in distinctly western contexts has barely been reflected upon. This thesis considers how the mode of displaying Egyptian archaeology may be reconceptualised. Primarily drawing its inspiration from a series of conversations with individuals from the city of Quseir on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, alongside findings from both the English and Arabic literary canon, the history of archaeology and of ideas, Egyptology, political thinking and certain anthropological critiques, I seek to question the display of the Egyptian past outside of the country, and ultimately to recommend a possible form for the retelling of this past. This project imagines the potential of the museum of the future as a site that celebrates diversity, and yet also fosters a shared sense of humanity; a stage that uses its collections to challenge the inequalities of the present, whilst stimulating the audiences' imagination, and finally, as a setting that promotes co- existence and, to quote Johannes Fabian, 'coevality' — the sharing of time and space between British audiences and those whose past they view. A theory of 'collaborative archaeology' provides the foundation for this transformation.

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