As an Egyptology graduate myself,
1/ where are the gloves?

As a human being,
1/ where is your mask?

I appreciate the new discovery but for some reason the gathering of many to watch the opening of a sarcophagus reminds me of a Victorian party https://twitter.com/ausambegy/status/1312367375975677953

Yesterday, I tweeted my quick response to the images/videos related to the unveiling/opening of one of the many sarcophagi recently discovered at Saqqara and after having conversations w a few people ... twitter thread alert!

1/ The discovery of coffins/mummies/undiscovered 'treasure' is always an Egyptomania moment but we have to remember that these coffins house the deceased and the opening of one of the coffins is reminiscent of the Victorian parties held to unveil and unwrap mummies

2/ Surely there is a better LESS INVASIVE way to unveil. The publicised/media frenzy moment of opening a coffin does capture the public's attention but for how long? Does it invite the public to better understand the field of Egyptology? A better appreciation of the past?

3/ Is it not ironic that Egyptologists (probably the most 'popular' type of historians) have not learned from the past about improving the ways we announce the discovery of the past (especially the deceased)?

4/ And if we're going to 'hype up' the moment of opening a coffin, should we not also use that moment to illustrate the correct way of touching artefacts? GLOVES ON even if it's for a photo-op GLOVES ON!

5/ Egyptologists have spent years building a field that has grown increasingly inward -looking and because of its niche nature, it appears to rely on Egyptomania moments of "rare discoveries" which then shapes the way the public perceives and receives Egyptology

6/ And then Egyptologists complained about the misrepresentation of themselves, the field and "mummies coming back to life" in mainstream media such as Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, the Mummy series and games like Assassin's Creed Origins BUT

7/ if Egyptologists refuse to acknowledge that Egyptology needs to be evolve to include reception studies of ancient Egypt and educated public engagement, then who else is at fault? The mummies?

#receptionstudies #teawiththesphinx #archaeogaming #egyptology