Myths of the Excavator-Supplier

The Valuation of Archaeological Material and Justification of Transactions in Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, 1880-1930

Abstract

The 1882 British military occupation of Egypt accelerated an antiquities rush in the Nile Valley, driven by the collecting desires of individuals, states and museums in the Global North. In the United Kingdom, much of this supply came through licensed excavations operating under the division of finds/partage system, which allowed archaeologists to export a share of their finds. Excavator-suppliers also purchased freely on the antiquities market to supplement their excavated finds. Work in the source country was funded by destination country donors, either through archaeological funds such as the Egypt Exploration Fund, via excavation committees, or by direct patronage. These relationships created a business cycle that required exported antiquities to be distributed to financial backers to secure ongoing support. Drawing on archival records, this article examines select transactions to consider the role of excavator-suppliers in British-led archaeology and their proximity to modern definitions of ‘dealing’. It identifies three socio-functional myths used by excavator-suppliers to justify their actions, expenditures, and transactions in relation to the financial value of archaeological objects and labor.