By Beatriz Esquivel
The findings—and pillages—in Egypt have fascinated humanity for centuries, given the fact that Egypt’s ancient civilization is shrouded in mystery even to this day.
Though for a long time excavations in Egypt had the purpose of pillaging and selling ancient artifacts, as well as delivering them to museums across Europe, today we face a different paradigm: entertainment and (sort of) scientific education on TV.
This new trend has led to the creation of shows that profit from a nation’s treasures and historical patrimony—due to either a deliberate strategy for tourism on the part of the Egyptian government, or a direct consequence of the country’s rampant corruption.
Read more: Uncovering The Truth Behind The Myth Of King Tut’s Deadly Curse
Egyptian authorities have known how to take advantage of the appeal and legends surrounding their treasures, making money from journalists that visit the country in search of recent news or exclusives about archaeological research there. This income, however, is not necessarily reflected in the museums’ installations or monuments.
This is how the Discovery Channel (which already had several productions about Egyptology) managed to transmit live the finding and opening of a high priest’s tomb. Opening the actual sarcophagus revealed the mummy inside, alongside many ceremonial objects that suggested its rank. This all happened during an episode of “Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live,” which lasted for about two hours. Recording took place in Al-Ghorifa, 265 km away from Cairo, at a site where many other tombs had been found previously.
Read more: 20 Photos Of The Historical Discovery Of The Tomb Of Pakal, Palenque’s Last Ruler
Despite being surrounded by several tombs, the show’s hosts, Josh Gates and Zahi Hawass, took many turns and explored all kinds of nooks and crannies, even venturing inside places long considered to be cursed. The event would be celebrated as “one of a kind,” even though its approach wasn’t entirely scientific at all. At least not in terms of precautions, responsibility, methodology, or a relevance beyond sensationalism.
We still don’t know how expensive this particular venture was, especially regarding the rights for airing the episode and its future reruns. However, if this whole affair made something crystal clear, is that shows like this one stand to be an unparalleled success—and it makes Egyptian authorities much richer too. We can only hope that future productions don’t forget the minimum scientific rigor and respect such findings deserve, and that profits are managed both responsibly and efficiently. Perhaps that’s hoping for too much….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6MeJ0CsGno
Translated by Oliver G. Alvar
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