Synopses & Reviews
The Italian adventurer Giovanni Belzoni (1778-1823) is one of the most colourful and notorious figures in Egyptology. After the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, European interest in the country, and especially in its antiquities, led to a demand for artifacts, the larger the better. Belzoni happened to be pursuing his two careers, as circus strong-man and hydraulic engineer, in Egypt in 1815, when he was asked to organise the transport of a 7-ton statue of Ramesses II from Thebes to the British Museum. After the success of this enterprise, he turned his attention to the discovery of other antiquities, though using destructive techniques which were deplored by serious contemporary scholars. His narrative of his adventures was enormously popular at the time, and remains readable and entertaining today. This reissue omits the plates from the original edition, which are too large to be reproduced satisfactorily in this format.
Synopsis
Published in 1821, these adventures of an Italian strong-man turned hunter of Egyptian antiquities remain readable and entertaining today.
Synopsis
Giovanni Belzoni (1778-1823) was famous in his day, and notorious afterwards, for his 'treasure-hunting' approach to the study of ancient Egypt, which included blasting his way into tombs with gunpowder. His narrative of his adventures was enormously popular at the time, and remains readable and entertaining today.
Table of Contents
Preface; Preface to the second edition; First journey; Second journey; Third journey; Journey to the Red Sea; Account of the taking of the obelisk from the island of Philoe to Alexandria; Journey to the oasis of Ammon; Appendix.