Zeinab Musa
Research Mentor(s): Arthur Verhoogt
Mentor Department: Classical Studies
Authors: Zeinab Musa, Arthur Verhoogt
Session: Session 6 (3:00pm – 3:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 85
Abstract
Every artifact unearthed at Karanis tells a story, but the accounts of those who unearthed them remain buried in history. The University of Michigan’s excavation of Karanis was an archaeological project taken on in today’s Kom Aushim, an agricultural town in Egypt’s Fayum, exploring a site that existed during the Graeco-Roman colonial period. It was a monumental historical feat, but the Egyptian workmen who were essential to the discovery of these artifacts and information have never been properly accredited. These men were professionals in their field and their discoveries have been extensively studied and celebrated, but the Egyptian laborers and specialists who carried out the physical and technical work of excavation have been overlooked and rarely acknowledged in academic publications. Our research aims to rediscover who these individuals were, and how their lives connected their work in Karanis and other excavations in the region. By analyzing field diaries and correspondences from the dig sites, we attempt to identify, record, and connect the workmen to their findings and other work they may have completed. Ultimately, connecting excavators with their findings challenges colonial narratives that have erased native contributions from the history of archaeology by giving proper accreditation to those who were responsible for so much of the work.
