The Rape of the Nile

Brian Fagan’s classic account of the cavalcade of archaeologists, thieves, and sightseers who have flocked to the Nile Valley since ancient times.

“A sophisticated adventure story brimming with fascinating characters. This is the adventure of archaeology at its best.”—Times Literary Supplement

The scandalous rape of Ancient Egypt is a historical vignette of greed, vanity, and dedicated archaeological research. It is a tale vividly inhabited by characters like the ancient historian Herodotus; Theban tomb robbers; obelisk-stealing Romans; Coptic Christians determined to erase the heretical past; mummy traders; leisured antiquarians; major European museums; Giovanni Belzoni, a circus strongman who removed more antiquities than Napoleon’s armies; shrewd consuls and ruthless pashas; and archaeologists such Sir Flinders Petrie who changed the course of Egyptology.

The Rape of the Nile is Fagan’s classic account of the cavalcade of archaeologists, thieves, and sightseers who have flocked to the Nile Valley since ancient times. Long considered a benchmark in narrative archaeology, this edition updates the saga with new accounts of stunning recent discoveries—including the Royal Tombs of Tanis, the Valley of Golden Mummies at Bahariya, the Tomb of the Sons of Ramses, and the sunken city of Alexandria (whose lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Fagan concludes with a clear-eyed assessment of the impact of modern mass tourism on archaeological sites and artifacts.

• “Fagan records come outrageous tales in this book and knowledgeable history of the plunder of Egypt… Many compelling characters, often fierce rivals, inhabit this fascinating book.”
  Time
• “A fine tale of heroes and villains, scientists and ruffians, set against the compelling backdrop of Ancient Egypt. This important book gives the background for discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, and so much more.”
  Science Digest
• “A sophisticated adventure story brimming with fascinating characters. This is the adventure of archaeology at its best.”
  Times Literary Supplement