I used to be an archaeologist, honestly the idea we went around stealing artifacts is plain bollocks, the vast majority were purchased, and the few we just took were legitimately saved from destruction. Take the Rosetta stone for example, arguably the most important discovery in Egyptian archaeology, it had been taken from its temple by the mamuluks and used as a building stone in Fort Julien, then discovered by the French during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign then captured by the British.
Egypt's honestly a great example for all this because the Arabs that had conquered and ruled Egypt didnt give a shit about its ancient past and so the tombs were all robbed and destroyed whenever found, it's only British and French antiquarian's who gave a shit about this stuff that saved it.
It's basically the same situation.
Our knowledge and understanding of human history outside of Europe, and a few exceptions like Japan, are totally lacking because those places are dangerous shitholes. You cpuldnt take an archaological team to Syria or Iraq to investigate ancient Babylonians because its honestly too dangerous, and suggesting there was history before Mohammed would get your ass killed out there.
If it wasnt for the British Empire and its stabilising influence on the regions it controlled and a few rich English eccentrics who splashed their cash on digging up old and rare things, we would know virtually nothing of the ancient world outside of Europe.
I left mainly because there was no money in the field. Lots of contact work that dried up in the winter or during economic hardships so it was a stressful career to make work financially.
In terms of finds, my most interesting dig was working for the National Museum of Serbia tracking down paleolithic sites along the Danube, we were trekking up mountains with local guides taking us to caves that hadn't been used since Tito and his rebels used them to fight the Germans in ww2, and taking core samples, then if we found anything interesting we would do a full excavation. Coolest thing we found in a cave in Montenegro was a fully articulated Auroch head and spine. Aurochs were an ancestor to modern cows but about twice the size and horns nearly 2 metres in length, this thing was a beast to look at. Not very significant but coolest thing to look at.
Most important find would be at ham hill in Somerset. The place is a huge hill fort dating to the bronze age, we found a series of grain pits, most were empty but one had been filled with human remains along with a beautifully polished stone axe which are super rare. They believe the grain pits when not used for grain storage would be symbolically used in burials because of their association with rebirth and life. So the bodies weren't dumped in a hole but carefully placed there with their prized belongings for rebirth in the afterlife.
Well that was a genuinely interesting read! Cheers for this!
And yeah, I've spent a tiny amount of time around that part of Somerset - my parents took me there because they used to live and work in the area (Taunton, Glasto, Bristol). Didn't specifically go there, though!
Palaeolithic Danube sounds damn interesting, though!! I know almost literally nothing about the ancient history of that area, except for with the Roman conquests, that giant bridge they built which is still partly standing, and that tribe which lived in what is now Romania (the Dacians?) that lived up in the mountains, and fought the Roman Empire...
But yeah, don't know much beyond that. Pre-history in that region must be pretty fascinating, I imagine!
Shit man, I'd help you with this sounds awesome.
I used to be an archaeologist, honestly the idea we went around stealing artifacts is plain bollocks, the vast majority were purchased, and the few we just took were legitimately saved from destruction. Take the Rosetta stone for example, arguably the most important discovery in Egyptian archaeology, it had been taken from its temple by the mamuluks and used as a building stone in Fort Julien, then discovered by the French during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign then captured by the British. Egypt's honestly a great example for all this because the Arabs that had conquered and ruled Egypt didnt give a shit about its ancient past and so the tombs were all robbed and destroyed whenever found, it's only British and French antiquarian's who gave a shit about this stuff that saved it.
Sounds like Greece under the Ottomans, and how the Elgin Marbles came to be, well, the Elgin Marbles…
Funny that. 🤔
You used to be an archaeologist, hey? Any cool finds?? What made you stop?
It's basically the same situation. Our knowledge and understanding of human history outside of Europe, and a few exceptions like Japan, are totally lacking because those places are dangerous shitholes. You cpuldnt take an archaological team to Syria or Iraq to investigate ancient Babylonians because its honestly too dangerous, and suggesting there was history before Mohammed would get your ass killed out there. If it wasnt for the British Empire and its stabilising influence on the regions it controlled and a few rich English eccentrics who splashed their cash on digging up old and rare things, we would know virtually nothing of the ancient world outside of Europe.
I left mainly because there was no money in the field. Lots of contact work that dried up in the winter or during economic hardships so it was a stressful career to make work financially.
In terms of finds, my most interesting dig was working for the National Museum of Serbia tracking down paleolithic sites along the Danube, we were trekking up mountains with local guides taking us to caves that hadn't been used since Tito and his rebels used them to fight the Germans in ww2, and taking core samples, then if we found anything interesting we would do a full excavation. Coolest thing we found in a cave in Montenegro was a fully articulated Auroch head and spine. Aurochs were an ancestor to modern cows but about twice the size and horns nearly 2 metres in length, this thing was a beast to look at. Not very significant but coolest thing to look at.
Most important find would be at ham hill in Somerset. The place is a huge hill fort dating to the bronze age, we found a series of grain pits, most were empty but one had been filled with human remains along with a beautifully polished stone axe which are super rare. They believe the grain pits when not used for grain storage would be symbolically used in burials because of their association with rebirth and life. So the bodies weren't dumped in a hole but carefully placed there with their prized belongings for rebirth in the afterlife.
Well that was a genuinely interesting read! Cheers for this!
And yeah, I've spent a tiny amount of time around that part of Somerset - my parents took me there because they used to live and work in the area (Taunton, Glasto, Bristol). Didn't specifically go there, though!
Palaeolithic Danube sounds damn interesting, though!! I know almost literally nothing about the ancient history of that area, except for with the Roman conquests, that giant bridge they built which is still partly standing, and that tribe which lived in what is now Romania (the Dacians?) that lived up in the mountains, and fought the Roman Empire...
But yeah, don't know much beyond that. Pre-history in that region must be pretty fascinating, I imagine!
For those interested in the Dacia stuff:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacian_Fortresses_of_the_Or%C4%83%C8%99tie_Mountains
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan%27s_Bridge#:~:text=The%20bridge%20was%20constructed%20in,can%20still%20be%20seen%20today.
And
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan%27s_Dacian_Wars
Interesting shit.
I'm sure there are some people out there who think Roman = Romani = Romansh = Romania, which would make this all the more confusing. But anyway.