Uncovering Irish Egyptology histories and collections: An untold story?

Jackson, Emmet 2024. Uncovering Irish Egyptology histories and collections: An untold story? PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The thesis is organised into two sections each containing three chapters. Section I of the thesis (Chapters 1-3) entitled Histories presents a summary of the contribution of Irish scholars and amateur antiquarians to the field of Egyptology. As this work has not been conducted to-date, except in scattered sources, the format for this section follows a roughly chronological order. Section I of this work will argue that the contribution of Irish scholars and travellers to the field of Egyptology, is a significant one that to date has largely been ignored. Chapter 1 traces early connections between Egypt and Ireland from a number of Medieval monks through to the 18th Century. The chapter focusses primarily on the 18th century and those early scholars and travellers who came into contact with modern and ancient Egypt through the grand tour and the early enlightenment period. As these encounters, in an Irish context, are sparse, the chapter is divided into subsections focussing on key characters, namely; Robert Wood, James Caulfield, Revd. Dr Richard Pococke, and Robert Clayton. This chapter also introduces the burgeoning organisations and societies in Ireland which would touch on Egyptological studies and early Egyptian collection. Chapter 2 moves into the nineteenth century when contact with Egypt and the study of Egyptology was at its height in Ireland. The considerable increase in contact with Egypt during the 19th Century leaves very little room to delve into individual biographies in considerable detail. Instead, this chapter provides short summaries of the main proponents interacting with Egypt described under the broad categories of travel and adventure, and women travellers. Chapter 3 compiles, for the first time, the main contributors to the field of Egyptology under the headings of Antiquarians and Egyptologists and examines whether this Irish engagement with the study of Egyptology differed in any way to its British counterpart. There has been no work done to-date tracing the contribution of Irish scholars to Egyptology and this thesis presents the first attempt at an account of Egyptology histories in Ireland. Section II of the thesis, entitled Collections, aims to conduct a census of Ancient Egyptian material in the island of Ireland and demonstrate accordingly the importance iii of the Egyptology collection in Irish museums and private collections. This is the first attempt at a full census of Egyptian material in Ireland. The aim of this section is to also provide case studies from these collections to expand on object provenance and biographies. Chapter 4 provides a summary of all the known Egyptian collections in Ireland, past and present, in colleges and private collections. Each collection is summarised in terms of overall numbers, broad categorisation of object types, and their provenance biographies. Chapter 5 builds on the previous chapter and focusses on the largest collection of Egyptian and Sudanese artefacts in Ireland, those from the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). This chapter traces the history of the museum, the source of its Egyptian material, and its ethos in relation to the retention and active collecting of Egyptian artefacts. This chapter will expand on a number of object biographies as case studies to demonstrate how a detailed study of the collection can inform how Irish Egyptology evolved in Ireland and to demonstrate the research potential of these largely forgotten collections. Chapter 6 examines the travels and antiquarian collection of Lady Harriet Kavanagh, one of the largest private collections at the NMI. The collection, which has never been studied in its entirety, along with her travel diaries, and sketches from that time, cements her position in the historical narrative of early Irish Victorian travellers to Egypt, and is highlighted to demonstrate the research potential the collections in Ireland has to offer. Research on Harriet’s diaries and letters will show that notable travellers, writers, and collectors in Egypt, such as Harriet Martineau and Sophia Poole, were among her intimate acquaintances during her travels, and this will highlight the importance of her contribution to the historical narrative of travel in Egypt. The concluding chapter focusses on assessing the data presented in the previous chapters through the lens of Irish orientalism and colonialism. It will demonstrate how Irish Egyptology was influenced, and in part created, by British colonialism but that it is distinct. It will argue that Egyptology is a remnant of Ireland’s place in Empire and its demise was in part due to Independence and a rising interest in National histories. It will also highlight future areas of research.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CT Biography D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain D History General and Old World > DT Africa G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 December 2024
Date of Acceptance:	15 October 2024
Last Modified:	11 Dec 2024 09:23
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174647

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