Flinders Petrie has been called the “Father of Modern Egyptology”—and indeed he is one of the pioneers of modern archaeological methods. This fascinating biography of Petrie was first published to high acclaim in England in 1985. Margaret S. Drower, a student of Petrie’s in the early 1930s, traces his life from his boyhood, when he was already a budding scholar, through his stunning career in the deserts of Egypt to his death in Jerusalem at the age of eighty-nine. Drower combines her first-hand knowledge with Petrie’s own voluminous personal and professional diaries to forge a lively account of this influential and sometimes controversial figure.
Drower presents Petrie as he was: an enthusiastic eccentric, diligently plunging into the uncharted past of ancient Egypt. She tells not only of his spectacular finds, including the tombs of the first Pharaohs, the earliest alphabetic script, a Homer manuscript, and a collection of painted portraits on mummy cases, but also of Petrie’s important contributions to the science of modern archaeology, such as orderly record-keeping of the progress of a dig and the use of pottery sherds in historical dating. Petrie's careful academic methods often pitted him against such rival archaeologists as Amélineau, who boasted he had smashed the stone jars he could not carry away to be sold, and Maspero and Naville, who mangled a pyramid at El Kula they had vainly tried to break into.
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Written by an Egyptologist, this meticulously documented biography records the life and work of the legendary British Egyptologist (1853-1942) whose exemplary scientific fieldwork provided the foundation for modern Egyptology. Drower draws upon a wide range of sources to trace Petrie from his childhood in England through a long, magnificent career that set new standards in recording finds, establishing principles of dating pottery, treatment of workers, and standards of ethics in archaeology. A man of robust health and enormous energy, he had the great good fortune of marrying the perfect partner in Hilda Urlin, his indefatigable coworker. Excerpts from letters and diaries allow charming insights into Petrie's notoriously spartan life on the site. Long-awaited and definitive, this belongs in every biography collection. Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“[An] admirable and immensely readable biography, Margaret Drower's account of [Petrie] does full justice to a complex and multi-faceted life that brimmed over with energy and event. You don't have to be an archaeologist to enjoy this book, although I imagine that all archaeologists will welcome it without reserve.”—The Guardian
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
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This review is from: Flinders Petrie: A Life in Archaeology (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) (Paperback)
Before William Flinders Petrie, there were great explorers and great adventurers, some of whom even made finds of tremendous archeological note in Egypt. But Flinders Petrie was the first great archeologist. Analogous to Edward R. Murrow's preeminence to this day as the standard against which all newscasters are measured, Flinders Petrie set the standard and laid the foundations for modern archeology. Today, one can study the science of archeology and obtain a degree. One can specialize in the school of Egyptology. Major universities and museums fund archeological digs. None of this existed when Flinders Petrie first embarked for Cairo in the late 1800's with little more than a bag, homemade tools and instruments, and very little money. How he came to return to Egypt and later Palestine year after year; how the study of Archeology/Egyptology was established at University College; how the theories of dating strata by studying potsherds was developed is fascinating stuff. For anyone who has been captured by the romance of rediscovering lost civilizations, this book is a must.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
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Aborbing, intelligent, fascinating,
By A Customer
This review is from: Flinders Petrie: A Life in Archaeology (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) (Hardcover)
Margaret Drower accomplishes a well balanced, informative, authoritative, readable biography of a complex and remarkable individual in this book. Petries achievements are astounding, founding archaeology and egyptology as a professional science, over the course of his career he excavating numerous important and valuable sites, and was prolific in his documentation and publication of his findings, Petrie revolutionised the practice of archaeology, setting a standard of excellence that his juniors and contempories had to follow.Drower examines his early life and family background to better understand the determined, driven and exacting man he became. Following the development of his methodologies through his seasons in Egypt, Drower also places Petrie in the context of the late nineteenth century academic circles, the friendships and politics which he was surrounded by and participated in. An absorbing biography, valuable to anyone with an interest in archaeology, egyptology or wishing to learn more about a remarkable individual. A truely worthwhile read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
About the beginnings of archaeology,
By Jean Grant "avid reader" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flinders Petrie: A Life in Archaeology (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) (Paperback)
Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie had no formal education but discovered amazing things. He developed a mathamatical formula for discovering the unit of measurement early people used when building ancient monuments. He found that all measurements of Stonehenge and the pyramids at Giza were incorrect because they had preconceived ideas and used the wrong units for measuring. He built most of his own instruments and his own camera. His book, Seventy Years in Archaeology, is still a standard text in archaeology. Margaret Drowers book is the result of a collection of letters, journals, papers, and over 100 books by Sir Flinders. He had adventures that rival those of Indiana Jones. Fascinating reading.
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