Pre-Pharonic Egypt threatened

[Brian G Turner]

This isn't about pontificating - about dictating terms to poorer countries to insist they do what we never did - but still it's ssad to see that another large geographic area of Egypt is about to be lost to redevlopment.

The Nassar Dam project resulted in some major investment to preserve sites by moving them. But with pre-Pharonic Egypt there are no great monuments to focus public awareness on.

Drowning the past - Desert Project Threatens Pre-Pharaonic Egypt

 

[Brian G Turner]

Actually, looking around the subject, it;s astonishing to see how wasteful Britain is regarding it's own cultural heritage. It's sad to see how many Megalithic barrows have been wantonly ploughed up, and how little protection anything other than major sites receive.

Here's a more recent article about my home town:

http://www.thisishull.co.uk/display...layContent&sourceNode=61025&contentPK=6091765

 

[littlemissattitude]

This sort of thing goes on here in the States as well. It is so discouraging that people don't seem to have any concern for learning about their past, and about the past of those who lived in their area before them. As someone whose education is in the area of anthropology, these sorts of reports (as in the developers' attitude in Hull) are always dismaying to me.

 

[Brian G Turner]

It's certainly true about local archaeology. Pre-Pharonic Egypt at least makes the small press because Ancient Egypt provides such a magnificent eye-opening splendour - massive monuments and legendary tombs, not to mention secret riches of gold. So the Pre-Pharonic origins of that civilisation can at least gain a little attention.

Unfortunately, the local archaeology of our own areas - even if in the same or prior time period - simply becomes ignored. A few years ago I spent the solstic evening on a ancient burial mound that pre-dated the Pyramids. But I doubt many have heard of Duggleby.

But as to my own local situation - what's even more sad is that the land ear-marked for development - supposedly of bronze-age origin and with evidence of an Iron Age farm - isn't marked on any map I know of as having any significance. It's almost as if only a handful of archaeologists in the world even knew about the existence of this site - which otherwise is simply old farmland frequently flooded by heavy rain.

So perhaps it's up to archaeology to open up and communicate more. I know local residents have taken interest in the idea of archaeology being present - precisely because none of them seemingly knew it even existed. I certainly didn't - and that's from someone who has an unquenchable interest in history, who plans one day to write about the history of Yorkshire (Neolithic to Mediaeval), and who even drives by that site every fortnight to do the family food shopping.

Btw - on the subject of anthropology - my own route is through history as well, but one of the other members here has a specific interest in forensic anthropology. Here's the thread:

http://www.chronicles-network.net/forum/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=335

Oh - and btw - it's nice to see you stop by. Welcome to the chronicles-network, littemissattitude!

 

[littlemissattitude]

Well, I tried to reply once and lost the blasted thing. So, I'll try again.

I've been looking in from time to time, and when I saw this thread I just had to jump in. I love all of anthropology - cultural, biological, archaeology. In fact, archaeology was my first love, but with my arthritis, I would never be able to get out into the field and dig. No fun at all. So, I ended up more on the cultural side, with a particular interest in belief systems. I find forensic anthropology interesting in the abstract, but unless nothing but bones are left, I don't have the stomach for it in the lab.

 

[Arch]

Annoying when you lose posts. Before you send anything on any messageboard or forum, then press CTRL+A to highlight all and then CTRL+C to copy all. Then if you lose it it's on your clipboard. Learned from hard experience.