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Review

Author(s): Darren Glazier


Review by: Darren Glazier
Source: Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol. 70, No. 2 (Jun., 2007), pp. 115-116
Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25067704
Accessed: 27-06-2015 19:27 UTC

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(Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and Apocrypha references; the


list also comprises

that do not have

places

an entry

in the book).

In a new edition, itwould be helpful to add a selected (and


annotated) bibliography that could guide the reader to further
readings

and

other

as atlases

such

tools

useful

or collections

of

and

of

Antiquities, Zahi Hawass


has done much to bring

to a

the past of Egypt


wider

for some
set about
country's
while
on

time, Hawass

the

service

antiquities

the past

popularizing

page

has

transforming

screen.

and

Any

publication byHawass is thus guaranteed to be received with


interestby theworld of Egyptian archaeology.
latest offering,Hidden Treasures ofAncient Egypt, is
inspired by an exhibition thatmarked the centenary of the
Egyptian Museum in 2002. The exhibition brought together
His

250 hitherto unseen


that,

items from the national


some

alongside

of Egypt's

more

collection;

us by Hawass.

recognizable

Yet
these

is no

this

exhibition

simple

to narrate

artefacts

catalog:

the history

the

national

pride

themselves.

us conventionally.

Nor

Rather,

into accounts
are

Hawass

these
leads

of the discovery

treasures
us on

presented
a journey

of
to
from

1850 to the present day, throughperiods of colonial obsession


struggle,

international

cooperation

audience.

excavations,

in the

found

the temptation

eschews

instead

focusing

a revisionist

Service,

to write

Endeavoring

is no
us

to introduce

history

that

aimed

at a

in a book

innovative

but

in just a few pages


is able

of Egyptian

the history
small

That

undertaking.

to the Egyptians

have

who

popularizer.

This

on

emphasis

characters

of Egyptian

the development

archaeology

in themain body of the book itself; the great

is continued

of Egyptian

native

both

archaeology,

and

foreign,

permeate thediscussion of Egypt'shidden treasures.These finds


are brought to lifethrougha range of biographical insights,with
stories

ancient

of their

from Egyptian
the past,

also,

of their more

also

use

the author's

of oral

subtly, "Egyptianizing"

recent

testimony

that is truly innovative,

archaeologists

but

but

owners,

It is, though,

discoverers.

"peopling"
archaeology.

Egyptian

The retellingof the storyofCarter and Tutankhamen through


of the Egyptian
for example,

excavation,
while

us

reminding

an oft-repeated

reinvigorates

that Egypt's

past

in the

involved

archaeologists

is, first and

tale
the

foremost,

past of the Egyptians.


is not

That

about

solely

Antiquities
return

to suggest,

excavation.
place

of illegally

in the choice

however,
Hawass

great

and

within

found

conservation
an emphasis

antiquities,

exported

of artifacts

Council

the Supreme

on both

emphasis

is

Treasures

that Hidden

this volume.

of
the

and

reflected
The

range

is indeed impressive, from the unfinished obelisk atAswan, to


an ancient
Nor,

despite

the

some

toe manufactured

prosthetic

treasures?detailed

the artifacts
Yet,

title,

are

these

discussions

artefacts

2800

presented

years

ago.
as

simply

and historical

of archaeological

and

is never
met

themselves.
it is this

paradoxically,

contributes

of Egyptian

archaeology, skillfullyweaving tales of politics, colonialism,

nationalist

those

book.

significance lend scholarly gravitas to the individual beauty of

antiquities, form the basis of the hidden treasures offered to

and

of great

Antiquities

the accounts

most

The

audience.

visible head of the council

the artifacts

Hawass

in this

shaped Egyptian archaeology while avoiding the temptation


to simplifythe past is testimony to his abilities as both scholar

Council

Supreme

only

Hawass

his role as Secretary


of Egypt's
In General

resurgent

section.

refreshing,

archaeology

By Zahi Hawass. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic


Books. Pp. 11 + 239; plates, maps. Cloth, $35.00. ISBN
0-7922-6319-7.

and

its nascent

general

Treasures

uses

are

however,

intriguing,

a history

treasures

hidden

many

to each

introductions

is not

of Ancient
Egypt: Unearthing theMaster
pieces of Egyptian History

author

indeed

the most

Perhaps

and

University ofHeidelberg

artefacts

discoveries"

upon the development of indigenous Egyptian archaeology

Peter Lampe

Hidden

are

There

to simply recount

inscriptions.

(translated)

new

to the "exciting

through

wrangling,

political

of the present.

to a sense

completely

for an artifact

very

of inconsistency

clear,

for example,

or site to be

included

of artifacts

range
within
what

the volume.

criteria

as a hidden

have
treasure.

that
It
to be
Is it

archaeological significance?Aesthetics? Historical importance?


It is certainly not scholarly/publicneglect: just how hidden is
themask of Tutankhamen? It is perhaps symptomatic of the
social obsession with all things Pharaonic that itwas deemed

70:2 (2007)
NEAR EASTERNARCHAEOLOGY

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

115

to include

necessary

at the expense

such mainstays

of other,

o? Egyptian

less-well-known

is this

Nor

pieces.

a book for the absolute beginner in Egyptian archaeology,


as

presupposing

a certain

it does

amount

o? knowledge

this is indeed a

ancient Egypt amongst its audience. While


book

for the

a book

it is not

lay reader,

of

for every

It

lay reader.

is a book to flip through, to dip in and out o? and return to at


leisure.

to it you will,

in no

thanks

small

to

part

one

would

vast majority

were

of consummate

illustrated.
by Ken

taken

skill and vision.

the real masterpieces

treasures,

Egyptian

images

Zahi

Hawass

Perhaps

more

has

clearly

set about

cares

about

Council

of Egypt.

its future. He
of Antiquities,

bringing

Egyptian

Treasures,

Hawass

vision

wider

to a wider

archaeology
demonstrates

of Egypt's

both

o? the Egyptian

perceptions

to that process;

contribution

audience.

that he has

to truly transform

Egyptian
past.

it is unlikely

than

The

past.

In Hidden

the skill, energy,


and

archaeology

is an admirable

This

to be his greatest.

of figurines

period

figurines

on

to cover

in the objects

even

regions

By R R. S. Moorey. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2003. Pp.


viii + 81; plates,maps. Cloth, $45.00, ISBN 0-19-726280-5.

on

temporal and geographic


similar

constraints.

Many

more

differ

may

in their

interests, but they all face


figurines

come

from

rubbish

dumps than from the settings inwhich theywere originally


used.

Virtually

no

figurine

comes

with

any

form of written

the

o? historic
periods

and

their

own

to develop

East,

they

increasingly

advances drawn from fields such as

women's

and

makes

prehistoric

In addition,

frameworks.

(pp. 67-68).1

Scholars

daunting.

studies.

Recent

archaeological

from IronAge Israel and Judah.

articles,

The

museum

terracottas

and

more,

he wrote

occasions.2

Most

a hundred

Museum's

books,
about
recently,
of Near

collection

In the three 2001

(p. x).

career

lengthy

than

on many

imagery

his

spanned

of more

the Ashmolean

catalogued

Eastern

author
handbooks

and

iconography
he

in figurines

interest

Moorey's
in archaeology.

Schweich

lectures

thatprovided the basis for Idolsof thePeople,Moorey set out to


examine

ceramic

images

millennia"

integral
might

sound

...

treated

(p.

examined

to larger

Age

and Canaan

Syria

Israel and Judah. In his words, "These

are

antecedents

prehistoric

figurines were

from Bronze

figurines

as a distinctive
recurrent

and

ix).

This

theme

not

as isolates,

archaeological

or other

figurines

looked
images

on

has

the discussion.

116 NEAREASTERNARCHAEOLOGY70:2 (2007)

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

rarely analyzed

with

seals

and
them

with

counterparts;

their male
are

in conjunction

forth. Putting
Moorey

are

figurines

at

are

figurines
in conjunction

in conjunction

this

common.

not

Anthropomorphic

female

as elements
While

assemblages.

rarely viewed

as

developed

rather

it is certainly

commonsensical,

phenomenon
characteristics

was

but

counterparts;
figurines

are more

discoveries have had a powerful impacton biblical scholarship,


which in turn has influenced the interpretation of figurines

across

ceramic

figurines?

guidelines

zoomorphic

study

as

all known

themselves"

research

the Near

utilize methodological

with

Idols of the People: Miniature


Images of Clay in theAncient
Near East

who

or

to expect

in archaeology

accepted

more

utilize

outside

theoretical

miniature

Glazier

University of Southampton

Scholars

devices,

votives

is it reasonable

few things

o? broadly

and from IronAge


Darren

pursuits,

Indeed,

of times

inherent

absence

study

and

archaeologists

for the exploration

guidelines

of vibrancy

this publication, and with others, he has also set about

With

and

also

of Egyptian

generation

new

laying down

players

the past

as

there
Were

toys or hermeneutic

explanation

"At the best

anthropology

about

deeply
he

in

of Hawass.

the Supreme

transforming

a new

training

cares

importantly,

a sense

contribute

accounts

just be

history, may

o? the great

images

which

archaeology,

life to the historical

and

of Egyptian

themselves,

photos

overarching

of clay miniatures.

As Roger Moorey points out inhis excellent new book entitled


Idols of thePeople:Miniature Images ofClay in theAncient Near

of the artifactsare breath takinglyexquisite, yet the real hidden


the period

of deities?

representations
single

as

in religious

used

that

then,

surprise,

the purpose

such

objects

they

rather

The

Garrett,

Garrett's

about

as no

elusive than the definition of functions determined socially

Geographic

is sumptuously

Treasures

of the photographs

photographer

a National

from

expect

Hidden

publication,

secular

they

East,

of its illustrations.

the quality
As

return

And

is little consensus

or were

come

It should

identification.

archaeology

with
and

so

together,

as

sealings,
all

rarely

so ably done,

changes

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