Ten years' digging in Egypt, 1881-1891

"Ten Years' Digging in Egypt, 1881-1891" by W. M. Flinders Petrie is a historical account written in the late 19th century. This work chronicles the author's extensive archaeological excavations and discoveries in Egypt over a span of ten years, focusing particularly on ancient sites like the Pyramids of Gizeh and the ruins of Tanis. Petrie’s reflections on the significance of his findings offer insights into the daily life, culture, and history of ancient Egyptian civilization, making this a valuable text for those interested in archaeology and Egyptology. The opening of the work begins with Petrie discussing the preparations made prior to his first expedition to Egypt, detailing his choice of accommodation in a tomb and the scientific techniques he employed. He shares his initial experiences and methods of surveying the Pyramids of Gizeh, emphasizing the need for accurate measurements to address existing theories about their construction. As he delves into the intricacies of pyramid construction, he highlights both the remarkable workmanship of ancient builders and the logical discrepancies in popular theories. The text sets the stage for a blend of personal narrative and meticulous scientific observation, illustrating the challenges and rewards of archaeological exploration in Egypt. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, commonly known as simply Sir Flinders Petrie, was a British Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. He held the first chair of Egyptology in the United Kingdom, and excavated many of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt in conjunction with his wife, Hilda Urlin. Some consider his most famous discovery to be that of the Merneptah Stele, an opinion with which Petrie himself concurred. Undoubtedly at least as important is his 1905 discovery and correct identification of the character of the Proto-Sinaitic script, the ancestor of almost all alphabetic scripts.