"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
Publisher:Cairo ; New York : American University in Cairo Press, 2011.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 443-465) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Ancient remains as life's stage : differing perspectives on life in the Theban Necropolis -- The natural and social setting of the Theban West Bank communities -- Early European travelers and the emergence of the Theban communities in the consciousness of the West -- "In justice to the inhabitants of Gournei" : European presence and its literary record -- Protected space as domestic place : human presence and the emergence of the built environment in the Theban Necropolis -- Qurnawi foothills architecture : footprint, form, and function -- Agriculture, conflict, and the maintenance of stable social relations -- All in a season's work : Egyptology-induced labor relations at al-Hurubat -- Faked antikas and 'modern antiques' : artistic expression in the villages of the Theban West Bank -- Contemporary spirituality and traditional beliefs in the Theban Necropolis -- The ethnography of eviction -- Appendix 1. Ethnography in sensitive surroundings : notes on life and work among the tombs -- Appendix 2. Theban Mapping Project aerial photographs -- Appendix 3. English translation of Carla Burri's Italian The anonymous Venetian text -- Appendix 4. Extract from Howard Carter's autobiographical Sketch V -- Appendix 5. A petition from the people of Qurna to the Egyptian government -- Appendix 6. Art and craft production at al-Qurna.
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