Mentor(s): Kimberly Hamlin

Egypt gained its independence from Britain in 1922; simultaneously, the biggest discovery in archaeological history occurred later that year by famed Egyptologist Howard Carter. Though Britain ostensibly gave Egypt full independence, British Egyptologists still managed to control the field of archaeology, seemingly withholding access to artifacts and antiquities from Egyptians.

Although it is clear that Britain fought to maintain control of the field of Egyptology as a means to bolster its reputation, to what extent was this a form of colonialism? Were the British attempting to maintain control over Egyptians or did they actually care about the antiquities? This research hypothesizes that it is a mixture of both. Controlling the field of Egyptology was a way to deter nationalistic sentiments from boiling over, while simultaneously bolstering British influence. While there were mentions in some sources regarding nationalism and the alleged threat it posed Egyptology, the question still remains of how much of a role did Egyptology play in nationalist movements? Clearly, the British felt threatened by Egyptian nationalists, but did nationalists view ancient history as essential to their country’s identity, or was that a lesser priority? How has the field of Egyptology and the view of it as colonialism shaped Egyptian collective historical memory around ancient history? This research aims to understand how Egypt's ancient history has evolved from a form of soft colonialism by the British to today one of nationalism.

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