Chapter I: Preface

Archaeology is the latest born of the sciences. It has but scarcely struggled into freedom, out of the swaddling clothes of dilettante speculations. It is still attracted by pretty things, rather than by real knowledge. It has to find shelter with the Fine Arts or with History, and not a single home has yet been provided for its real growth.

All other sciences deal with the things around us; with subjects which may, or may not, affect us. Even medical sciences are concerned with the mechanical structure of the body, rather than with the nature and abilities of the mind. But the science which enquires into all the products and works of our own species, which shows what man has been doing in all ages and under all conditions, which reveals his mind, his thoughts, his tastes, his feelings,--such a science touches us more closely than any other.

By this science, of which History forms a part, we trace the nature of man, age after age,--his capacities, his abilities; we learn where he succeeds, where he fails, and what his possibilities may be.

From another point of view the subject should be considered; it gives a more truly “liberal education” than any other subject, as at present taught. A complete archaeological training would require a full knowledge of history and art, a fair use of languages, and a working familiarity with many sciences. The one-sided growth of modern training, which produces a B.A. who knows nothing of natural science, or else a B.Sc. who knows nothing of human nature, is assuredly not the ideal for a reasonable man. Archaeology,--the knowledge of how man has acquired his present position and powers--is one of the widest studies, best fitted to open the mind, and to produce that type of wide interests and toleration which is the highest result of education.

Though this volume is a book of reference for those engaged in actual work, yet it will also serve to give the public a view of the way in which this work is done, the mode in which results are obtained, the ends which are pursued, and the important questions which must be considered. We have nothing here to do with the details of the facts discovered; but deal only with the methods and aims, which have been slowly learned in a quarter of a century. Yet every year there are fresh methods to add, and more clear views of the aims; and far more might easily have been said about each of the subjects here discussed.

If in this outline there is much more reference to Egypt than to other countries, it is for the reason that most of my own work has lain there; and there is the more need to deal with that land, as more exploration is going on there than elsewhere.

I have to thank my friends for six of the photographs here used.

W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

THE EXCAVATOR PAGE

Purpose, 1; Character, 2; Experience, 3; Organization, 5;
Acquirements, 5; Demands of the work, 6 1–8

CHAPTER II

DISCRIMINATION

Temples, 9; Towns, 10; Cemeteries, 11; Indications, 12;
Productions, 14; Pottery, 16; Style, 17; Visual
memory, 19 9–19

CHAPTER III

THE LABOURERS

Quality, 20; Education, 21; Control, 22; Substitution,
23; Overseers, 24; Direct system, 26; Day pay, 27;
Piecework, 29; Day and piece work, 30; Rewards, 33;
Accounts, 35; Native ways, 37 20–40

CHAPTER IV

ARRANGEMENT OF WORK

Clearances, 41; Turning over, 43; Raising earth, 44;
Tracing walls, 46 41–47

CHAPTER V

RECORDING IN THE FIELD

Need of record, 48; Value of record, 50; Resulting view,
50; Marking, 51; Nature of notes, 52; Planning, 53;
Plotting, 55 48–59

CHAPTER VI

COPYING

Paper squeezes, 60; Dry squeezes, 61; Casting,
64; Drawing, 68; Restored forms, 71; Copying
inscriptions, 72 60–72

CHAPTER VII

PHOTOGRAPHING

The Camera, 73; Preparing objects, 76; Lighting, 77;
Arrangement of objects, 79; Stereographs, 81;
Developing, 82 73–84

CHAPTER VIII

PRESERVATION OF OBJECTS

Stone, 86; Pottery, 88; Textiles, 89; Wood, 89; Ivory,
91; Papyri, 93; Bead-work, 95; Stucco, 96; Gold, 98;
Silver, 98; Copper, 99; Bronze, 100; Lead, 102; Iron,
102; Sorting, 102 85–104

CHAPTER IX

PACKING

Blocks, 105; Long objects, 106; Heavy stones, 107;
Pottery, 108; Softening, 109; Cases, 110; Unpacking, 111 105–113

CHAPTER X

PUBLICATION

Arrangement, 114; Plates, 115; Processes, 117; Editions,
119; Text, 120; Publishing, 120 114–121

CHAPTER XI

SYSTEMATIC ARCHAEOLOGY

Systems of work, 122; Need of a _corpus_, 123; Example of
_corpus_, 124; Utility, 125; Successive ages, 126;
Sequences, 127; Sequence dates, 129; Conservation,
130; Buildings, 130; Lighting, 131; Grouping, 132;
National Repository, 133 122–135

CHAPTER XII

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Nature of proof, 136; Legal evidence, 136; Witnesses,
138; Material facts, 138; Exhaustion, 139;
Probabilities, 139; Legal proof, 140; _Egypt and
Europe_, 141; In XXVIth Dynasty, 142; XVIIIth Dynasty
paintings, 144; Burnt groups, 145; Rubbish mounds,
147; Houses, 148; Scarabs, 149; Tombs in Egypt,
150; Tombs in Greece, 152; Variation with date, 153;
Style, 154; Recapitulation, 155; XIIth Dynasty,
Kahun, 156; XIIth Dynasty in Crete, 158; Pan-graves,
159; VIth to IIIrd Dynasties, 162; 1st Dynasty
Aegean, 164; 1st Dynasty Cretan, 166; Prehistoric, 167 136–168

CHAPTER XIII

ETHICS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Individual rights, 169; Destruction, 170; Restoration,
172; Sacrifices, 173; Responsibility, 174; Rights of
the future, 175; Rights of the past, 176; Duties,
178; Future of museums, 180; Publications, 182; State
claims, 183; State rights, 184; Excavating laws, 187 169–188