Scattered finds: archaeology, egyptology and museums

Between the 1880s and 1980s, British excavationsat locations across Egypt resulted in the discovery of hundreds of thousands ofancient objects that were subsequently sent to some 350 institutions worldwide.These finds included unique discoveries at iconic sites such as the tombs ofancient Egypt's first rulers at Abydos, Akhenaten and Nefertiti's city of Tellel-Amarna and rich Roman Era burials in the Fayum.

ScatteredFinds explores the politics, personalities and socialhistories that linked fieldwork in Egypt with the varied organizations aroundthe world that received finds. Case studies range from Victorian municipalmuseums and women's suffrage campaigns in the UK, to the development of some ofthe USA's largest institutions, and from university museums in Japan to newinstitutions in post-independence Ghana. By juxtaposing a diversity of sitesfor the reception of Egyptian cultural heritage over the period of a century,Alice Stevenson presents new ideas about the development of archaeology,museums and the construction of Egyptian heritage. She also addresses thelegacy of these practices, raises questions about the nature of the authorityover such heritage today, and argues for a stronger ethical commitment to itsstewardship.

Praise for Scattered Finds

'Scattered Finds is a remarkable achievement. In charting how British excavations in Egypt dispersed artefacts around the globe, at an unprecedented scale, Alice Stevenson shows us how ancient objects created knowledge about the past while firmly anchored in the present. No one who reads this timely book will be able to look at an Egyptian antiquity in the same way again.'
Professor Christina Riggs, UEA