Photographing Tutankhamun

Archaeology, Ancient Egypt, and the Archive

By: Christina Riggs

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Paperback | 27 December 2018

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272 Pages

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24 x 17 x 2

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They are among the most famous and compelling photographs ever made in archaeology: Howard Carter kneeling before the burial shrines of Tutankhamun; life-size statues of the boy king on guard beside a doorway, tantalizingly sealed, in his tomb; or a solid gold coffin still draped with flowers cut more than 3,300 years ago. Yet until now, no study has explored the ways in which photography helped mythologize the tomb of Tutankhamun, nor the role photography played in shaping archaeological methods and interpretations, both in and beyond the field.

This book undertakes the first critical analysis of the photographic archive formed during the ten-year clearance of the tomb, and in doing so explores the interface between photography and archaeology at a pivotal time for both. Photographing Tutankhamun foregrounds photography as a material, technical, and social process in early 20th-century archaeology, in order to question how the photograph made and remade 'ancient Egypt' in the waning age of colonial order.

About the Author

Christina Riggs is a historian of archaeology, photography, and ancient Egyptian art. She is professor of the history of art and archaeology at the University of East Anglia and a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford University. Her books include Unwrapping Ancient Egypt (Bloomsbury 2014) and Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press 2014).

Industry Reviews

'A beautifully written and fascinating account of the photographs and photographic practices related to Tutankhamun. It will be a landmark study in the relationships between archives, photographs, and archaeology.'

--J.A. Baird, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK

'Photographing Tutankhamun is a remarkable achievement for many different reasons, but it is perhaps this contribution that makes the book stand out. [...] Riggs's ability to look across social, empirical and theoretical domains and not lose sight of the idiosyncrasies of Tutankhamun offers a valuable case study in recognising the oscillations and contingencies underpinning the work of photographs in archaeological practice.'

--Antiquity

'A beautifully written and fascinating account of the photographs and photographic practices related to Tutankhamun. It will be a landmark study in the relationships between archives, photographs, and archaeology.'

--J.A. Baird, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK

'Photographing Tutankhamun is a remarkable achievement for many different reasons, but it is perhaps this contribution that makes the book stand out. [...] Riggs's ability to look across social, empirical and theoretical domains and not lose sight of the idiosyncrasies of Tutankhamun offers a valuable case study in recognising the oscillations and contingencies underpinning the work of photographs in archaeological practice.'

--Antiquity

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