The modern neighbors of Tutankhamun : history, life, and work in the villages of the Theban West Bank / Kees van der Spek.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Van der Spek, Kees.

Contributor:

George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Community life--Egypt--Qurna.

Community life.

Qurna (Egypt)--History.

Qurna (Egypt).

Qurna (Egypt)--Social life and customs.

Qurna (Egypt)--Social conditions.

Qurna (Egypt)--Economic conditions.

Thebes (Egypt : Extinct city).

Egypt--Qurna.

Physical Description:

xxxi, 500 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cairo ; New York : American University in Cairo Press, 2011.

Summary:

"A historical-anthropological study of the people who lived in the antiquities precinct of Luxor's West Bank. 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."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 443-465) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

ISBN:

9789774164033

9774164032

OCLC:

606779925

Publisher Number:

99946177315