Ancient/Now - February 17th
The controversy surrounding the restoration of Menkaure's pyramid at Giza and more
Restoration of Menkaure’s pyramid garners criticism from archaeologists
Do we want to keep ancient buildings as ruins or do we want to reconstruct them into some semblance of their former glory? A recent announcement from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities that a joint Egyptian-Japanese project will “study and document” the granite blocks of Menkaure’s pyramid at Giza “in preparation for their reconstruction” sparked backlash and criticism from Egyptian archaeologists and Egyptologists as well as other experts around the world. The controversy drew international media attention, including an article by The Washington Post and a featured segment of The Today Show, both of which highlighted experts’ concerns that “reconstruction” and/or “restoration” of the pyramid’s granite casing stones could harm both the monument and our ability to study it archaeologically. The Washington Post writes,
In a statement shared by Monica Hanna, an archaeologist and Egyptologist at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, a group of archaeologists called the project “entirely unscientific” and [said]…Proceeding with the project “is tantamount to tampering with Egyptian antiquities and undermining its antiquity and history…”
I was contacted by various news outlets for comment on the project, and I was careful to point out the difference between “conservation” and “restoration.” Conservation preserves an object in the state it is in; restoration improves it, changes it, beautifies it. With restoration, an object is never the same, and valuable information of all kinds is lost. I work with ancient Egyptian coffins—plastered and painted wooden objects that are regularly over-restored, all the cracks and imperfections covered over and repainted. When I look at an ancient Egyptian coffin, I purposefully look to where it is broken because I can learn about how it was made, if it was redecorated, what kind of wood was used, how many pieces of wood were used. If you cover up a break in the plastered decoration with restoration, all that information is gone. It’s the same with Menkaure’s pyramid. The facing of this pyramid was left in an unfinished state, and that teaches us about his kingship, the political affairs of the time, etc. By putting blocks back, we will destroy all that data. And for what? To improve on the past? Change the Past? Restoration alters the past, and it should be avoided at all costs. The situation is complicated by the fact that the Giza pyramids are UNESCO world heritage monuments and thus protected from unnecessary interventions.
In response to the widespread criticism and concern about the efforts to restore and reconstruct Menkaure’s pyramid, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced a review of the project by a committee of international experts, led by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass. Earlier this week the review committee unanimously objected to the restoration project, and concluded that no further work should be conducted without the submission and approval of a “comprehensive research proposal” to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
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One more thing…
Click to watch one Egyptian’s message to the British Museum: