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Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age
The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Margaret’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Margaret’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 16, 2024
About the author
Kathleen Sheppard
6 books59 followersKathleen Sheppard was born and raised in the Midwestern United States, where she has now settled after years away. She earned an MA in Egyptian Archaeology from University College, London, where she met the memory of Margaret Murray for the first time. She earned an MA and PhD in History of Science from the University of Oklahoma, where she realized she wanted to find more women like Murray and has continued doing so ever since. She sits on the board of the Missouri Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt and is the Chapters’ Council VP. She is a Professor in the History and Political Science department at Missouri S&T and lives in central Missouri with her husband, son, dog and cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
July 10, 2024
I love learning about ancient Egypt, the pyramids, the ancient artifacts, the excavations, mummies, etc. I was very excited to see a book was about women's involvement in this field including those who donated money, traveled to the sites and about the first woman granted permission to excavate. How thrilling for them to be able to travel there, to live there, to share their travels, their successes, their thoughts, and their struggles.
It is obvious that a tremendous amount of research went into the writing of this book. I could feel the author's enthusiasm for this subject and the women she shares with readers. I appreciated how she focused on women and their accomplishments, their traveling and inquisitive spirits, their determination and drive. Readers are also given insight into their lives, their love lives, and their marriages.
This book had so many positives, but it felt clunky at times and did not follow, at least for me, any sense of order. Plus, as other reviewers so aptly mentioned, this does feel like an academic book. I was hoping to feel more for the women, their drives, their travels, and their involvement surrounding the digs and local communities. I love learning new things and reading about real people but this book, while informative and extensively researched, didn't wow me as I had hoped.
But I do believe there is an audience for this book. There are some very interesting sections and I admired the women and their tenacity in this book. Please read the reviews of others who have enjoyed this book more than I did and decide for yourself.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
It is obvious that a tremendous amount of research went into the writing of this book. I could feel the author's enthusiasm for this subject and the women she shares with readers. I appreciated how she focused on women and their accomplishments, their traveling and inquisitive spirits, their determination and drive. Readers are also given insight into their lives, their love lives, and their marriages.
This book had so many positives, but it felt clunky at times and did not follow, at least for me, any sense of order. Plus, as other reviewers so aptly mentioned, this does feel like an academic book. I was hoping to feel more for the women, their drives, their travels, and their involvement surrounding the digs and local communities. I love learning new things and reading about real people but this book, while informative and extensively researched, didn't wow me as I had hoped.
But I do believe there is an audience for this book. There are some very interesting sections and I admired the women and their tenacity in this book. Please read the reviews of others who have enjoyed this book more than I did and decide for yourself.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
March 17, 2024
There was a sentence about 1/5 of the way into this book that I stopped and highlighted, because it seemed to sum up things so well. "If one had the time to travel and the money to support excavations or purchasing artifacts, or both, that was enough to make you an archaeologist at this point in the history of archaeology in Egypt." One has to take this fact into account when reading the stories of the women covered in this book (most of whom were British).
Some of them indeed had time and money, and after wandering into Egypt in hopes of a more healthful climate, they were smitten with what they saw going on, and decided they wanted to do it too, so they got together a bunch of money, found some man who was interested in or experienced with archaeology, and went off and started a dig; at which point they managed the day to day hiring and paying of the local workers who REALLY did the work. Some of them ended up holding the reins at home of academic departments, or of foundations set up to promote interest in and solicit funds for archaeological activity in Egypt, which they did extremely well. Some of them were such talented artists that they made better documentation of the interior art in excavated tombs than contemporary photographers could do. On the whole, I do not come away with the impression that they did research and chose likely locations to dig in, and had a leadership role in the actual archaeology.
On the other hand, at least pre 1900, given that nobody really had any expertise in this field, the men who were out there leading digs mostly seemed to be bashing about shouting "By jove" and "What ho" and often destroying as much as they appropriated. So context is important!
I am most convinced of the substantive work of Caroline Ransom, who almost singlehandedly documented and managed the Met Egyptian collections, and also traveled around documenting other collections as well. She had to amass a huge amount of knowledge in order to create guidebooks for the popular audiences who were flocking to see these items, as well as develop a procedure by which teams from the University of Chicago created hand-made copies of tomb art (which began to decay and vanish as the outside air flowed into the excavated tombs).
A few things needed the eye of a careful editor. For example, she refers to "hospital parades" a dozen or so pages before she actually tells you what they were. Occasionally a sentence just doesn't quite make sense or read smoothly and could have benefited from some rearranging. The chronology became a little confusing, as following the story of one woman would mean bringing in another one, briefly, even though her chapter was yet to come. At one point, someone is accompanied somewhere by "Nettie" but there is no indication that Nettie Gourlay was present at that site so I'm not sure how she popped into that paragraph and perhaps that was a mistake?
On the whole, it's fair to say that Egyptian archaeology, such as it was between 1880 and 1930, would not have been able to accomplish what it did without the skills and talents of these women, even if they were not out leading digs. That doesn't mean everything they did was super fascinating. If you already have some interest and background in ancient Egypt, this book will make a lot more sense to you; if you don't, this may or may not be a good place to start.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read an advance galley of this book. I wish the pictures had been in it!!!
Some of them indeed had time and money, and after wandering into Egypt in hopes of a more healthful climate, they were smitten with what they saw going on, and decided they wanted to do it too, so they got together a bunch of money, found some man who was interested in or experienced with archaeology, and went off and started a dig; at which point they managed the day to day hiring and paying of the local workers who REALLY did the work. Some of them ended up holding the reins at home of academic departments, or of foundations set up to promote interest in and solicit funds for archaeological activity in Egypt, which they did extremely well. Some of them were such talented artists that they made better documentation of the interior art in excavated tombs than contemporary photographers could do. On the whole, I do not come away with the impression that they did research and chose likely locations to dig in, and had a leadership role in the actual archaeology.
On the other hand, at least pre 1900, given that nobody really had any expertise in this field, the men who were out there leading digs mostly seemed to be bashing about shouting "By jove" and "What ho" and often destroying as much as they appropriated. So context is important!
I am most convinced of the substantive work of Caroline Ransom, who almost singlehandedly documented and managed the Met Egyptian collections, and also traveled around documenting other collections as well. She had to amass a huge amount of knowledge in order to create guidebooks for the popular audiences who were flocking to see these items, as well as develop a procedure by which teams from the University of Chicago created hand-made copies of tomb art (which began to decay and vanish as the outside air flowed into the excavated tombs).
A few things needed the eye of a careful editor. For example, she refers to "hospital parades" a dozen or so pages before she actually tells you what they were. Occasionally a sentence just doesn't quite make sense or read smoothly and could have benefited from some rearranging. The chronology became a little confusing, as following the story of one woman would mean bringing in another one, briefly, even though her chapter was yet to come. At one point, someone is accompanied somewhere by "Nettie" but there is no indication that Nettie Gourlay was present at that site so I'm not sure how she popped into that paragraph and perhaps that was a mistake?
On the whole, it's fair to say that Egyptian archaeology, such as it was between 1880 and 1930, would not have been able to accomplish what it did without the skills and talents of these women, even if they were not out leading digs. That doesn't mean everything they did was super fascinating. If you already have some interest and background in ancient Egypt, this book will make a lot more sense to you; if you don't, this may or may not be a good place to start.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read an advance galley of this book. I wish the pictures had been in it!!!
July 9, 2024
This book is described as "the never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology."
I was thrilled to be asked to read and review this book as I am deeply fascinated by the history of Egyptology, and especially by the contributions made by women in an early, male-dominated time period.
These women were highly intelligent, wealthy, and determined- a powerful combination that helped them carve paths that intermingled with each other in this field. Their contributions (which varied with each woman) are worth knowing, empowering the female reader with a sense of wonder and leadership. Their uncredited work is deeply fascinating and inspiring.
A great deal of their exploits is revealed through documentations spearheaded by these women, and through their diaries and letter writing. This is sad as there were no formal documentations- only what these ladies created themselves.
The female perspective opens up a whole new viewpoint in this field in such a male-dominated time. This is an 'educational' book and reads as such. It's factual and formal in its tone.
I note that the book reveals that the author did extensive research and wholly immersed themselves in this writing project as conveyed through the detailed information in this book.
I am glad this book came to light and that the author took the time to put it together for our reading pleasure.
A lovely book for those seeking to read about the early contributions of women in this field.
Thank you to Kathleen Sheppard, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy of this book.
Recommended reading graded 4/5
I was thrilled to be asked to read and review this book as I am deeply fascinated by the history of Egyptology, and especially by the contributions made by women in an early, male-dominated time period.
These women were highly intelligent, wealthy, and determined- a powerful combination that helped them carve paths that intermingled with each other in this field. Their contributions (which varied with each woman) are worth knowing, empowering the female reader with a sense of wonder and leadership. Their uncredited work is deeply fascinating and inspiring.
A great deal of their exploits is revealed through documentations spearheaded by these women, and through their diaries and letter writing. This is sad as there were no formal documentations- only what these ladies created themselves.
The female perspective opens up a whole new viewpoint in this field in such a male-dominated time. This is an 'educational' book and reads as such. It's factual and formal in its tone.
I note that the book reveals that the author did extensive research and wholly immersed themselves in this writing project as conveyed through the detailed information in this book.
I am glad this book came to light and that the author took the time to put it together for our reading pleasure.
A lovely book for those seeking to read about the early contributions of women in this field.
Thank you to Kathleen Sheppard, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy of this book.
Recommended reading graded 4/5
July 15, 2024
Women in the Valley of the Kings is what might be considered an alternate history of the world of Egyptology, the study and exploration of the fascinating ancient world of Egypt. It covers the history of several women involved in this work from the late 1880s to ca. 1950 as a way of describing what their lives tended to be like, how they were educated, how they were introduced to or became involved in Egyptian studies, and how they pursued their own goals.
Shepherd makes several points clear: most of these women came from wealthy backgrounds or had wealthy supporters. Most, but not all, of the women she has chosen to profile are British. This makes some sense as the British were the governing control of Egypt at the time and a British Egypt society regarding artifacts had been formed. Digging (? plundering ) had been going on in Egypt for some time by men from many countries with little to no standards. This was slowly going to change and many of these women were going to be part of that shift toward professional archaeologists with standards.
Another point the author makes clear is the vulnerability of a single woman on a dig or even traveling alone in Egypt. Having a male sponsor or a female companion was actually necessary for safety. A few of the women profiled were in what appeared to be long term relationships with their companions, something that gave them emotional support and financial stability. My chief complaint about the book is the amount of detail provided on each individual involved. By the last individual, however, Caroline Ransome Williams, I began to relent on that feeling. The details so thoroughly backed up Shepherd’s thesis that these women had been uniformly ignored by their field for a century after working so diligently to document, organize, and create lasting Egyptian exhibits, documents and knowledge.
This was a difficult book for me to rate but I decided on 3.5* rounded to 4* because of the author’s dedication to her subject and these women who worked so hard for so many years, often creating collections or programs that inspired young and old for generations on both sides of the Atlantic, only to be largely forgotten as the men in the field received adulation and credit.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The review is my own.
Shepherd makes several points clear: most of these women came from wealthy backgrounds or had wealthy supporters. Most, but not all, of the women she has chosen to profile are British. This makes some sense as the British were the governing control of Egypt at the time and a British Egypt society regarding artifacts had been formed. Digging (? plundering ) had been going on in Egypt for some time by men from many countries with little to no standards. This was slowly going to change and many of these women were going to be part of that shift toward professional archaeologists with standards.
Another point the author makes clear is the vulnerability of a single woman on a dig or even traveling alone in Egypt. Having a male sponsor or a female companion was actually necessary for safety. A few of the women profiled were in what appeared to be long term relationships with their companions, something that gave them emotional support and financial stability. My chief complaint about the book is the amount of detail provided on each individual involved. By the last individual, however, Caroline Ransome Williams, I began to relent on that feeling. The details so thoroughly backed up Shepherd’s thesis that these women had been uniformly ignored by their field for a century after working so diligently to document, organize, and create lasting Egyptian exhibits, documents and knowledge.
This was a difficult book for me to rate but I decided on 3.5* rounded to 4* because of the author’s dedication to her subject and these women who worked so hard for so many years, often creating collections or programs that inspired young and old for generations on both sides of the Atlantic, only to be largely forgotten as the men in the field received adulation and credit.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The review is my own.
May 21, 2024
Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Originally when asked to read and review this book, I was elated. FINALLY!!!! A book about some women and their prominent roles within the shaping of Egyptology. I was excited to start learning a more well rounded historically accurate telling of who was prominent within this time period…not just the men, but finally women included!
Unfortunately, this book does not help fuel a want to learn more about women’s roles within this time period (late 1800s, early 1900s). The biggest issue I had in this book was that it is written like a college paper. Potentially this was a PhD dissertation before coming a full text? It reads horrifically dry, full of fact after fact that I feel all students write in to impress their professors. It assumes you know A LOT about this time period in history, and any lay person is going to be ridiculously confused. I personally have knowledge of Egyptology and some of the people involved in this text, and yet I was still constantly Googling who everyone was.
If that isn’t annoying enough, each chapter has about 5,000 names in it with zero context. What I mean by that is each chapter will speak about one or two specific women, and then add another bunch of names of people they knew or met, which you are supposed to just know already who they are DUH!!
The chapters are also not chronologically written, with the author talking about a women’s death and then in the next paragraph going back to them being alive and well working a project. I don’t understand why someone would write like this? Am I insane for assuming someone writing a biographical chapter about a historical figure would want to write from birth to death in order of big events? I can understand introducing a person and THEN going back to their “XYZ was born in blah blah blah,” but I don’t think I can wrap my head around the constant bouncing around.
If that isn’t enough, some people are writing into earlier chapters when their specific chapter isn’t until later in the book. I assume the name dropping is supposed to OOOH and AHHH the reader for what’s to come but in reality, I was incredibly frustrated trying to get through this piece because I had no idea who anyone ever was.
I will say I DID finish this book, solely because I try and finish all books I am reading, and not because I was engaged or wanting to read more. It was a slog to say the least, and that pisses me off because I feel it’s important to have contemporary pieces mentioning those who have been discarded or ignored before in history (specifically women in this case).
If you are someone who knows a LOT about history, specifically this “guilded age” of Egyptology…then I would recommend this book to you. It is full of information, but holy shit it will read like a text book and force you to contemplate what you’re doing with your life to get that information.
If you are a lay person, with not much knowledge about this era, or you THINK you know a lot, trust me this book will show you you don’t know shit and make you feel horrible about yourself for ever thinking you knew anything about Egyptology around the 1900s.
I do not recommend this piece, and I am angry that I have to say that because I was so excited for this one. Insert GIF of Tyra Banks in America’s Next Top Model screaming, “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you?!”
Originally when asked to read and review this book, I was elated. FINALLY!!!! A book about some women and their prominent roles within the shaping of Egyptology. I was excited to start learning a more well rounded historically accurate telling of who was prominent within this time period…not just the men, but finally women included!
Unfortunately, this book does not help fuel a want to learn more about women’s roles within this time period (late 1800s, early 1900s). The biggest issue I had in this book was that it is written like a college paper. Potentially this was a PhD dissertation before coming a full text? It reads horrifically dry, full of fact after fact that I feel all students write in to impress their professors. It assumes you know A LOT about this time period in history, and any lay person is going to be ridiculously confused. I personally have knowledge of Egyptology and some of the people involved in this text, and yet I was still constantly Googling who everyone was.
If that isn’t annoying enough, each chapter has about 5,000 names in it with zero context. What I mean by that is each chapter will speak about one or two specific women, and then add another bunch of names of people they knew or met, which you are supposed to just know already who they are DUH!!
The chapters are also not chronologically written, with the author talking about a women’s death and then in the next paragraph going back to them being alive and well working a project. I don’t understand why someone would write like this? Am I insane for assuming someone writing a biographical chapter about a historical figure would want to write from birth to death in order of big events? I can understand introducing a person and THEN going back to their “XYZ was born in blah blah blah,” but I don’t think I can wrap my head around the constant bouncing around.
If that isn’t enough, some people are writing into earlier chapters when their specific chapter isn’t until later in the book. I assume the name dropping is supposed to OOOH and AHHH the reader for what’s to come but in reality, I was incredibly frustrated trying to get through this piece because I had no idea who anyone ever was.
I will say I DID finish this book, solely because I try and finish all books I am reading, and not because I was engaged or wanting to read more. It was a slog to say the least, and that pisses me off because I feel it’s important to have contemporary pieces mentioning those who have been discarded or ignored before in history (specifically women in this case).
If you are someone who knows a LOT about history, specifically this “guilded age” of Egyptology…then I would recommend this book to you. It is full of information, but holy shit it will read like a text book and force you to contemplate what you’re doing with your life to get that information.
If you are a lay person, with not much knowledge about this era, or you THINK you know a lot, trust me this book will show you you don’t know shit and make you feel horrible about yourself for ever thinking you knew anything about Egyptology around the 1900s.
I do not recommend this piece, and I am angry that I have to say that because I was so excited for this one. Insert GIF of Tyra Banks in America’s Next Top Model screaming, “I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you?!”
August 16, 2024
I'm glad I spotted this at the library because this was fascinating and it gives a more unique look into the field of Egyptology. Do I want to rewatch The Mummy now? Yes.
January 20, 2024
While this book is about a time and place I find very interesting and I enjoyed that it was about the women who went to Egypt to work in the archeology digs, I found it difficult to read in long stretches. I realize the women did not approach the work in the same way the men did; they were involved in education and health care for the locals as well. They also entertained tourists who came to see the digs (or just to sponge off them for a few days). All these other duties kept them from their Egyptology. I was less interested in the details of their other duties and there were a lot of these details. This work is more of an academic book that students of female archeologists in Egypt would be able to mine for information. Sheppard has studiously referenced many sources and footnoted assiduously. She really knows her subject and has done students of Egyptian archeology a great favor by bringing all the work together.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC; the opinions expressed are wholly my own.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC; the opinions expressed are wholly my own.
April 17, 2024
This book was fine as a summary of the women who played key roles in 19th-20th century Egyptology, but it didn't really grab my attention. It's possible that separate biographies would make me feel more invested. If you're a committed Egyptophile (if there is such a word!) or perhaps a devotee of the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, you might find it interesting. As someone with a relatively casual interest, though, I wasn't hooked.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this digital review copy!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this digital review copy!
January 26, 2024
Reading about Egyptology from the viewpoint of the women involved was refreshing and delightful. The author starts with women traveling to Egypt which opened the way for women to get involved in Egyptology in a variety of different ways. I liked the chronological format of the book, and how each story overlapped slightly with the one before it. I enjoyed learning about the women's lives, and also gaining a new view on the history of Egyptology. This book would appeal to historians, as well as people interested in women's studies. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
July 22, 2024
Kathleen Sheppard expounds on the legacy of women in the field of Egyptology in Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age.
To the reviewers calling this dry, too "scholarly", and lacking in biographical information about the women, what book were you reading? This was fascinating!
Sheppard devotes seven chapters to the women who "played major roles in many major finds in Egypt, but their stories are rarely mentioned (if at all)." The stories are thoroughly researched, the women's contributions detailed, their personal lives explored. The women were scholars and academics, patrons, curators, artists, record keepers, writers, and collectors. They had significant impact to the entire field, in Egypt and in institutions across the globe. That impact is still evident - if you've visited the Tomb of Perneb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York you can thank Caroline Ransom Williams (chapter 7) who directed its preservation and reconstruction, opening to the public in 1916.
The stories overlap, which reinforces Sheppard's point that the circles these women inhabited were small, interwoven, and sometimes interdependent. They opened doors for each other and the next generation.
The detail is rich. We arrive on the shores of the Nile, feel the heat, climb the paths, sweep away the dust. We're in their world, experiencing their obstacles, admiring their tenacity.
The colonial history is problematic and Sheppard addresses it directly: "It is a period in which wealthy, white Europeans and Americans ran rampant over the cultural heritage of a colonized country and its people, vandalizing and pillaging as they went." and leads us through the end of British occupation in the 50s. The women appeared to give much more credit to the Egyptian workers in the excavations than their male counterparts. Many of the men come across as pompous buffoons, destroying artifacts as they scrambled to be first into the tombs.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC.
To the reviewers calling this dry, too "scholarly", and lacking in biographical information about the women, what book were you reading? This was fascinating!
Sheppard devotes seven chapters to the women who "played major roles in many major finds in Egypt, but their stories are rarely mentioned (if at all)." The stories are thoroughly researched, the women's contributions detailed, their personal lives explored. The women were scholars and academics, patrons, curators, artists, record keepers, writers, and collectors. They had significant impact to the entire field, in Egypt and in institutions across the globe. That impact is still evident - if you've visited the Tomb of Perneb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York you can thank Caroline Ransom Williams (chapter 7) who directed its preservation and reconstruction, opening to the public in 1916.
The stories overlap, which reinforces Sheppard's point that the circles these women inhabited were small, interwoven, and sometimes interdependent. They opened doors for each other and the next generation.
The detail is rich. We arrive on the shores of the Nile, feel the heat, climb the paths, sweep away the dust. We're in their world, experiencing their obstacles, admiring their tenacity.
The colonial history is problematic and Sheppard addresses it directly: "It is a period in which wealthy, white Europeans and Americans ran rampant over the cultural heritage of a colonized country and its people, vandalizing and pillaging as they went." and leads us through the end of British occupation in the 50s. The women appeared to give much more credit to the Egyptian workers in the excavations than their male counterparts. Many of the men come across as pompous buffoons, destroying artifacts as they scrambled to be first into the tombs.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC.
July 11, 2024
As an archaeology student, I found it rare to find stories of females in the field. All we learned about were people like Flinders Petrie and Lord Carnarvon; never the women were behind the scenes creating curriculum, teaching new students, and even financing the digs, as well as on the front lines leading archeological digs for multiple seasons. Learning about so many new names, Myrtle Broome, Kate Griffith, and Emily Paterson, was fascinating when I only knew about the Maggies and Amelia Edwards. These women were pioneers of their times, breaking the mold of education for women in Europe and the predominantly male field of archaeology. Many of them were placed in the shadows of men like their fathers, brothers, and husbands, and they found their freedom in education and traveling using financing and publishing multitudes of seasons of archaeological digs. They were pioneers in their sexuality as well; for many of these women, traveling on their own was seen to be taboo. So, finding traveling partners like friends or lovers allowed them to be who they were, with no one getting in their way. This book also dives into the history of just how damaging the early years of archaeology were; even though many of these women thought to record things that were going on, there were still several things left unrecorded, not adequately recorded, as well as looted and stolen artifacts. The stories of these women are told through the facts, the diaries, the letters, and the photographs left behind by these women. I would love to see this book as either a required or recommended reading in archaeology programs at my university, where I studied both archaeology and the ancient world, as it opens up new perspectives and people to be explored.
April 25, 2024
This is a very interesting and informative book! If you're someone who's interested in Egyptian artifacts and history, you'll enjoy this book! The imagery is spectacular! I could picture myself in Egypt, with the views of the mountains and tombs! I also enjoyed reading about the women who made a legacy and left their footprints in time.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St Martin's Press via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St Martin's Press via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 30, 2024
I was excited to learn more about Egyptology beyond Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. I thought his daughter the was the only woman in Egypt at the turn of the century and am glad to be proved wrong.
This reads like a thesis rather than something meant to both inform and entertain. It was hard for someone with my casual interest to access because there was a lack of context. There was also a lack of a cohesive narrative across all of the women’s separate stories. There’s a wealth of knowledge here, it was just a slog to get through. Probably best for those more familiar with this niche interest and not a lay person like me.
I received an arc from NetGalley
This reads like a thesis rather than something meant to both inform and entertain. It was hard for someone with my casual interest to access because there was a lack of context. There was also a lack of a cohesive narrative across all of the women’s separate stories. There’s a wealth of knowledge here, it was just a slog to get through. Probably best for those more familiar with this niche interest and not a lay person like me.
I received an arc from NetGalley
August 16, 2024
In “Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age,” Kathleen Sheppard reveals the pivotal yet overlooked role women made to the field of Egyptology. Long before the “rockstars” like Howard Carter, many women pioneered the field, including Amelia Edwards, Maggie Benson, Margaret Murray, and others. Sheppard’s book details the challenges these women faced and their significant achievements, including groundbreaking excavations and academic advancements. By focusing on their stories, Sheppard offers a compelling revision of the traditional Egyptology narrative, celebrating the courage and expertise of these trailblazing women who profoundly influenced the study of ancient Egypt.
“Women in the Valley of the Kings” is organized into seven chapters, each focusing on a different woman who helped develop the field of Egyptology. The chapters are arranged chronologically, providing readers with a structured narrative that highlights the evolving contributions of these trailblazing women. There is some overlap and interactions between of the women, which Sheppard notes. Each chapter really dives into the personal experiences, challenges, and achievements of its subject, offering a rich and detailed account of their impact on the field. Sheppard’s thorough research and in-depth exploration reveal the thankless roles these women played in the academic and archaeological fields.
The book is undoubtedly a valuable addition to both Egyptology and women's history, some readers might find certain chapters a bit dry, with a tone that can occasionally feel more formal than engaging. Despite this, Sheppard's expertise and dedication to uncovering these untold stories shine through. Her work is a compelling testament to the resilience and accomplishments of these early female Egyptologists. For anyone with an interest in Egyptology or the contributions of women in academia and archaeology, “Women in the Valley of the Kings” is a great fit.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Women in the Valley of the Kings” is organized into seven chapters, each focusing on a different woman who helped develop the field of Egyptology. The chapters are arranged chronologically, providing readers with a structured narrative that highlights the evolving contributions of these trailblazing women. There is some overlap and interactions between of the women, which Sheppard notes. Each chapter really dives into the personal experiences, challenges, and achievements of its subject, offering a rich and detailed account of their impact on the field. Sheppard’s thorough research and in-depth exploration reveal the thankless roles these women played in the academic and archaeological fields.
The book is undoubtedly a valuable addition to both Egyptology and women's history, some readers might find certain chapters a bit dry, with a tone that can occasionally feel more formal than engaging. Despite this, Sheppard's expertise and dedication to uncovering these untold stories shine through. Her work is a compelling testament to the resilience and accomplishments of these early female Egyptologists. For anyone with an interest in Egyptology or the contributions of women in academia and archaeology, “Women in the Valley of the Kings” is a great fit.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2024
A survey of female Gilded Age Egyptologists that will better serve those very new to this corner of history than those coming in with a solid amount of background knowledge.
This is well-researched and the author’s enthusiasm for the material is notable, but I disagree with other reviewers who felt this was too academic, because to me it wasn’t academic enough.
Much has been published about most of the people mentioned in the book. There’s not much here that will be new to you if you’ve delved into Gilded Age Egyptology before. Amelia Edwards is a legend about whom much has been written. She herself published extensively and her work is widely available. Emma Andrews is also a very familiar figure if you’ve read up on Theodore Davis at all. Again, nothing found here is really anything new.
This also reads pretty slowly for narrative nonfiction, and needed a lot of editing, as it’s heavy on anecdotal biographical information. I have no real objection to extras like that being included to create a more complete portrait, but here it comes at the cost of the more academic information specific to the actual Egyptology and details of the exceptional scholarship and archaeological contributions made by these women.
This was a good idea that didn’t quite come together the way it needed to in order to be a successful academic offering on this subject. But if you’re just looking for a toe-dip into this era of archaeology, it’s a great primer on the women who were instrumental to the effort.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is well-researched and the author’s enthusiasm for the material is notable, but I disagree with other reviewers who felt this was too academic, because to me it wasn’t academic enough.
Much has been published about most of the people mentioned in the book. There’s not much here that will be new to you if you’ve delved into Gilded Age Egyptology before. Amelia Edwards is a legend about whom much has been written. She herself published extensively and her work is widely available. Emma Andrews is also a very familiar figure if you’ve read up on Theodore Davis at all. Again, nothing found here is really anything new.
This also reads pretty slowly for narrative nonfiction, and needed a lot of editing, as it’s heavy on anecdotal biographical information. I have no real objection to extras like that being included to create a more complete portrait, but here it comes at the cost of the more academic information specific to the actual Egyptology and details of the exceptional scholarship and archaeological contributions made by these women.
This was a good idea that didn’t quite come together the way it needed to in order to be a successful academic offering on this subject. But if you’re just looking for a toe-dip into this era of archaeology, it’s a great primer on the women who were instrumental to the effort.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 3, 2024
3.5 STARS
As someone who is as interested in Egyptology and archeology as I am reading about women who have pushed to the footnotes of history for their significant roles in any given field, Women in the Valley of the Kings was an enticing read.
Separated into distinct sections focusing on the lives and careers of several different women, many of whom were members of the LGBTQ+ community, this work of non-fiction is almost entirely biographical. It is extremely well researched, and the women chosen are wholly unique individuals who blazed a path forward on their own during a time when women had very few rights and freedoms. They found their way in the world through a combination of intelligence, inheritance, and fortune at birth order where the expectations of marriage were not heavily placed upon them.
Although I found the book to be informative, it is really more geared toward academics of women's studies or Egyptology history. It is full of facts with little to no narrative flourish, although the author clearly did her due diligence in researching and put her heart into this book. Due to the nature of the advanced reader's copy that I was supplied, I found the lack of photos to be frustrating, however due to the extensive citations, I was easily able to look them up on the internet and it made immersion in the book much easier. The masses might be slightly bored, especially if they are expecting this to be more like Kate Moore's Radium Girls, but anyone who has enough of an interest in forgotten women of history should not pass this one up.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kathleen Sheppard for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who is as interested in Egyptology and archeology as I am reading about women who have pushed to the footnotes of history for their significant roles in any given field, Women in the Valley of the Kings was an enticing read.
Separated into distinct sections focusing on the lives and careers of several different women, many of whom were members of the LGBTQ+ community, this work of non-fiction is almost entirely biographical. It is extremely well researched, and the women chosen are wholly unique individuals who blazed a path forward on their own during a time when women had very few rights and freedoms. They found their way in the world through a combination of intelligence, inheritance, and fortune at birth order where the expectations of marriage were not heavily placed upon them.
Although I found the book to be informative, it is really more geared toward academics of women's studies or Egyptology history. It is full of facts with little to no narrative flourish, although the author clearly did her due diligence in researching and put her heart into this book. Due to the nature of the advanced reader's copy that I was supplied, I found the lack of photos to be frustrating, however due to the extensive citations, I was easily able to look them up on the internet and it made immersion in the book much easier. The masses might be slightly bored, especially if they are expecting this to be more like Kate Moore's Radium Girls, but anyone who has enough of an interest in forgotten women of history should not pass this one up.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kathleen Sheppard for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2024
This book just wasn't for me. I only finished it because I kept hoping it would get better and it just never did. I thought this would be a fascinating read and instead [for me ], it was a jumbed, borderline [at times ] incoherent story that seemed short of archeology/egyptology and more about money, travel [and where they stayed and what they wore etc ], and relationships. It was so jumbled in parts that there were moments I wasn't sure just who was being talked about [not to mention stories of the women, some who had died in a previous chapter[s], wove through many of the "current" chapters, leading to some serious confusion on my part ] and ended up just not really caring much anymore about the story.
The narrator for this book was also problematic [I was able to get the audio from Scribd ] for me; her flat delivery of this book didn't add anything to an already problematic book [for me ] and her constant mispronunciation of people and places just about drove me insane [and that is already a short trip y'all].
It is rare that I am so disappointed by a nonfiction book, but this was not what I was anticipating and just fell completely flat for me.
I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher, St. Martin' Press, and I thank them, the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The narrator for this book was also problematic [I was able to get the audio from Scribd ] for me; her flat delivery of this book didn't add anything to an already problematic book [for me ] and her constant mispronunciation of people and places just about drove me insane [and that is already a short trip y'all].
It is rare that I am so disappointed by a nonfiction book, but this was not what I was anticipating and just fell completely flat for me.
I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher, St. Martin' Press, and I thank them, the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2024
So fascinating. I knew visiting the Egyptian tombs was popular and now I can see why… not only were they promoted as vacation packages by Cook’s Tours, but it was the thing to do for the wealthy. This book puts me in the mood to reread the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters.
April 14, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley.
Recently, Apple TV aired Masters of the Air, a Spielberg and Hanks production about bomber pilots in the WW II. It is the third of the trilogy as it were – the first two were Band of Brothers and the Pacific. While it is important to record and bring the stories of WW II veterans to popular television, I’m always left with questions. To be fair, Masters of the Air does bring in the Tuskegee Airman for its closing episodes and does, finally, include a woman who is more than a nurse, yet it is a very white, man, heterosexual experience of the war. This is not to diminish the importance of the men but where are the multimillion-dollar miniseries about the Tuskegee airmen or about spies like Virigina Lake? Why when you do finally include a woman SOE office do you make her generic and mostly there for one male character to have an affair with, so we know the mental toll the war is taking on him? Why not spend more time on the Tuskegee airmen instead of only introducing them in the closing episodes? Why mention that Gale “Buck” Cleven kept a photo of his first wife on the mantel even though she died less than ten years after their marriage but neglect to mention his second wife when that marriage lasted fifty years and ended with his death? How Hollywood or whatever media tells a story is important because, whether intentionally or not, it can write out people from history, and usually it is those people who are already written out of many of the history books. It isn’t just World War II, though it is the most obvious one.
Luckily, there are people in the world like Kathleen Shepherd who are willing to do the work to bring people back into the history books, even if they cannot bring everyone who was there back in. Shepherd’s book aims to showcase the women who were impactful during the Golden Age of Egyptology. She focuses on roughly eleven women who in many cases impacted each other’s careers. Some of the women were married, some got married, some were lesbians, some did not marry at all. But they all impacted what went on in the Valley of the Kings in some way.
Shepherd is aware of the American Euro-centric focus of the women as well as the fact that they were part of colonialism as it occurred in Egypt. She points out that in many cases in the names of Egyptian workers- both men and women – were not recorded and that those workers were the ones that did the work. She contends that in many cases the reasons why we know some of the names is because of the notes and diaries of the women she profiles here. An example of this would be Emma Andrews who not only traveled to Egypt to go on digs with her partner but also funded them herself, though at times the various scholars credited just her male partner.
Shepherd starts with Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst. Amelia Edwards is mostly likely the name most familiar to people without degrees in Egyptology in part because of her work on Egypt but also, perhaps, for her grave where she is buried with her long-time companion Ellen Braysher. Shepherd ends with Caroline Ransom Williams, an American who Shepherd sees as a product of the work of the women who had come before her in the field. In general, the book is engaging, with the focus being on the work the women did as oppose to their personal and private lives – though Shepherd does discusses the sexualities for a few of the women as well as in the case of Emma Andrews their unusual for the time living arrangements.
Generally speaking, Shepherd does present the women warts and all, including when their worldwide, shaped by times in which they lived, would make modern people wince. Additionally, Shepherd highlights women who may not have had glamorous roles but because of their academic work - either in the terms of writing or education – had a vast impact on the field. This is particularly true of the section that deals with Margaret Alice Murray and her work in teaching in terms of Egyptology. Though much of the book, Shepherd also addresses the sexism that existed on dig sites and academic settings (though some men come off better than you would think) as well as the various movements at the time as well.
There are places where the book seems to let the reader down. In discussing Margaret Benson’s parents, Shepherd notes that the relationship started when Benson’s father, at 23, kissed Benson’s mother, then 12 and proposed. The reaction of Benson’s grandmother (her mother’s mother) is lessened by an aside that she was interested in her future son-in-law. Additionally, when discussing Murray, Shepherd notes that when Murray retired, she was unhappy and upset but really does not go into detail as to why nor does she really discuss the discrediting of some of Murray’s folklore writings.
Still, this was a good read.
Recently, Apple TV aired Masters of the Air, a Spielberg and Hanks production about bomber pilots in the WW II. It is the third of the trilogy as it were – the first two were Band of Brothers and the Pacific. While it is important to record and bring the stories of WW II veterans to popular television, I’m always left with questions. To be fair, Masters of the Air does bring in the Tuskegee Airman for its closing episodes and does, finally, include a woman who is more than a nurse, yet it is a very white, man, heterosexual experience of the war. This is not to diminish the importance of the men but where are the multimillion-dollar miniseries about the Tuskegee airmen or about spies like Virigina Lake? Why when you do finally include a woman SOE office do you make her generic and mostly there for one male character to have an affair with, so we know the mental toll the war is taking on him? Why not spend more time on the Tuskegee airmen instead of only introducing them in the closing episodes? Why mention that Gale “Buck” Cleven kept a photo of his first wife on the mantel even though she died less than ten years after their marriage but neglect to mention his second wife when that marriage lasted fifty years and ended with his death? How Hollywood or whatever media tells a story is important because, whether intentionally or not, it can write out people from history, and usually it is those people who are already written out of many of the history books. It isn’t just World War II, though it is the most obvious one.
Luckily, there are people in the world like Kathleen Shepherd who are willing to do the work to bring people back into the history books, even if they cannot bring everyone who was there back in. Shepherd’s book aims to showcase the women who were impactful during the Golden Age of Egyptology. She focuses on roughly eleven women who in many cases impacted each other’s careers. Some of the women were married, some got married, some were lesbians, some did not marry at all. But they all impacted what went on in the Valley of the Kings in some way.
Shepherd is aware of the American Euro-centric focus of the women as well as the fact that they were part of colonialism as it occurred in Egypt. She points out that in many cases in the names of Egyptian workers- both men and women – were not recorded and that those workers were the ones that did the work. She contends that in many cases the reasons why we know some of the names is because of the notes and diaries of the women she profiles here. An example of this would be Emma Andrews who not only traveled to Egypt to go on digs with her partner but also funded them herself, though at times the various scholars credited just her male partner.
Shepherd starts with Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst. Amelia Edwards is mostly likely the name most familiar to people without degrees in Egyptology in part because of her work on Egypt but also, perhaps, for her grave where she is buried with her long-time companion Ellen Braysher. Shepherd ends with Caroline Ransom Williams, an American who Shepherd sees as a product of the work of the women who had come before her in the field. In general, the book is engaging, with the focus being on the work the women did as oppose to their personal and private lives – though Shepherd does discusses the sexualities for a few of the women as well as in the case of Emma Andrews their unusual for the time living arrangements.
Generally speaking, Shepherd does present the women warts and all, including when their worldwide, shaped by times in which they lived, would make modern people wince. Additionally, Shepherd highlights women who may not have had glamorous roles but because of their academic work - either in the terms of writing or education – had a vast impact on the field. This is particularly true of the section that deals with Margaret Alice Murray and her work in teaching in terms of Egyptology. Though much of the book, Shepherd also addresses the sexism that existed on dig sites and academic settings (though some men come off better than you would think) as well as the various movements at the time as well.
There are places where the book seems to let the reader down. In discussing Margaret Benson’s parents, Shepherd notes that the relationship started when Benson’s father, at 23, kissed Benson’s mother, then 12 and proposed. The reaction of Benson’s grandmother (her mother’s mother) is lessened by an aside that she was interested in her future son-in-law. Additionally, when discussing Murray, Shepherd notes that when Murray retired, she was unhappy and upset but really does not go into detail as to why nor does she really discuss the discrediting of some of Murray’s folklore writings.
Still, this was a good read.
May 20, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book on the history of women in the field of Egyptology, their discoveries, their importance in educating others and how these women and their rich lives have been unfairly erased from history.
There is a lot of talk about the contributions of people unfairly forgotten by history. Most of these contributions are from women, people with different lifestyle choices, and people of color. The saddest thing about this is not that history has forgotten them, history is impartial, it is their fellow co-workers, researchers, teachers, and mentors who have omitted them. Sure it was of the time, but who made the time. And if these people could see so far in the past, couldn't they see the future should have a few more names to discuss. I have read many books on Egyptology, starting as a child, and seen even more mummy movies. Only one movie featured a woman being a researcher, and that was in the 1990's Mummy movie. Most of the rest are helpful, supportive, spouses, if women are even mentioned at all. I knew nothing of these women featured in this book, those who gave their health, their time, and lives to a field, though problematical, was one they popularized. Nor the rich lives and relationships they shared, even during an era that was known for its lack of freedom, any kind of freedom for women. Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard is a history that is much more about women living their best lives, ignoring the constraints forced on them, and engaging in a new field of study that many made their own, and yet still were denied credit.
The book is broken into 7 chapters featuring women in duos, or alone who slowly entered the field of Egyptology, sometimes without knowing why, and blazed paths that allowed the women in the next chapter to follow. These women had a few things going for them. Wealth, power in some cases, a strong will, and a sense of adventure. And a strong intelligence. The book introduces us to women who found companions like themselves, sometimes after bad engagement, or marriages, many traveling to the deserts of Egypt for health. Many travelled because they could, again wealth being helpful. A few wrote books about their experiences, some that have gone on to be important in the field. Many of them stayed together their whole loves, a love that dare not speak its name, but right there for all to see. One taught for almost 40 years, teaching future Egyptologists how to dig, how to read, and how to act. While sharing chocolate, and talking about witches. The whol book has extraordinary stories about women, who shouldn't be forgotten, but shared and celebrated, for all that they accomplished.
This book was not at all what I expected, and I am the better for it. So many great stories, so many strong companions, full of love and strength. Reading a book like this I expected to tear up because of mummy dust, and sand. Not about two people dying and sharing a gravestone of an obelisk with an Ankh carving in a cemetery in England. Sheppard has done a wonderful job of bringing these women to life, showing their unhappy lives in many cases, or in some cases odd marriages, and suddenly being overcome by Mummy-Mania. There is just so much here. Travels through Europe, up the Nile, bursting into tombs, and making great discoveries, and breaking a lot of stuff. Lectures of America. And women finding each other, making their lives complete, while the world shakes it heads at the lonely spinsters.
Amazingly in-depth research, and great writing. One of my favorite history books of the year, and probably my favorite book of the year. Recommended for history fans, Egyptology interested people, and for people in the LGBT community. These stories should be known. I found a whole group of new heroes here. I hope this book becomes a bestseller so others can know their tale.
There is a lot of talk about the contributions of people unfairly forgotten by history. Most of these contributions are from women, people with different lifestyle choices, and people of color. The saddest thing about this is not that history has forgotten them, history is impartial, it is their fellow co-workers, researchers, teachers, and mentors who have omitted them. Sure it was of the time, but who made the time. And if these people could see so far in the past, couldn't they see the future should have a few more names to discuss. I have read many books on Egyptology, starting as a child, and seen even more mummy movies. Only one movie featured a woman being a researcher, and that was in the 1990's Mummy movie. Most of the rest are helpful, supportive, spouses, if women are even mentioned at all. I knew nothing of these women featured in this book, those who gave their health, their time, and lives to a field, though problematical, was one they popularized. Nor the rich lives and relationships they shared, even during an era that was known for its lack of freedom, any kind of freedom for women. Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard is a history that is much more about women living their best lives, ignoring the constraints forced on them, and engaging in a new field of study that many made their own, and yet still were denied credit.
The book is broken into 7 chapters featuring women in duos, or alone who slowly entered the field of Egyptology, sometimes without knowing why, and blazed paths that allowed the women in the next chapter to follow. These women had a few things going for them. Wealth, power in some cases, a strong will, and a sense of adventure. And a strong intelligence. The book introduces us to women who found companions like themselves, sometimes after bad engagement, or marriages, many traveling to the deserts of Egypt for health. Many travelled because they could, again wealth being helpful. A few wrote books about their experiences, some that have gone on to be important in the field. Many of them stayed together their whole loves, a love that dare not speak its name, but right there for all to see. One taught for almost 40 years, teaching future Egyptologists how to dig, how to read, and how to act. While sharing chocolate, and talking about witches. The whol book has extraordinary stories about women, who shouldn't be forgotten, but shared and celebrated, for all that they accomplished.
This book was not at all what I expected, and I am the better for it. So many great stories, so many strong companions, full of love and strength. Reading a book like this I expected to tear up because of mummy dust, and sand. Not about two people dying and sharing a gravestone of an obelisk with an Ankh carving in a cemetery in England. Sheppard has done a wonderful job of bringing these women to life, showing their unhappy lives in many cases, or in some cases odd marriages, and suddenly being overcome by Mummy-Mania. There is just so much here. Travels through Europe, up the Nile, bursting into tombs, and making great discoveries, and breaking a lot of stuff. Lectures of America. And women finding each other, making their lives complete, while the world shakes it heads at the lonely spinsters.
Amazingly in-depth research, and great writing. One of my favorite history books of the year, and probably my favorite book of the year. Recommended for history fans, Egyptology interested people, and for people in the LGBT community. These stories should be known. I found a whole group of new heroes here. I hope this book becomes a bestseller so others can know their tale.
April 27, 2024
If you're into Egyptology or archeology, this fascinating book should be on your shelf. On the other hand, if you only have a mild interest and little or no background, you may find it a frustrating read. I fell somewhere in between and found certain parts of the book absolutely fascinating and intriguing while I must admit to skimming through others. For me, given my prior interest, I think it's safe to say this book will take me more than one read to take in all the information shared. Kathleen Sheppard has done a great deal of research and it shows. You'll definitely appreciate the index and notes at the end listing sources and perhaps pointing you off on your own search for more on these mostly little known women. My personal rating was 3.5 to 4, others will love it and think 5 star, while some will be left cold. I hate number ratings.
Basically, what you have here is a rather thorough history of not just these women and the archaeology of Egypt, but a decent history of Egypt's history itself. It's solid and not particularly detailed but more than adequate to give readers a feel for the give-and-take and various international influences on the area. Like many, I probably first became interested in this area due to Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb of "King Tut", so it was intriguing to read about the various women who were there before and during his time. It was also interesting to be reminded that early excavations were, sigh, almost anything but done carefully, think dynamite, rather than each item being carefully retrieved and documented. As a lover of history, it made me sad to imagine how much was lost but, anyway, on to the ladies.
Many that came were wealthy, many flocking to Egypt in hopes the dry air might improve their health. For instance, Lady Duff Gordon, one of the more recognized names in the book, traveled to Luxor, Egypt, in 1864 hoping for a tuberculosis cure. She wrote of her experiences and all the wonders she saw. Her writings would inspire others, others who play key roles in this book. I'm not going to detail these women, much as I'd like to (see the blurb for names), as it'd take pages, but will say that each touched those who came after in some way. While we do get to know these women as the book goes along, the focus is on their work, not them as private individuals. Most documented their stays in some way, often through letters home or diaries. Some of their writings, to their credit, reveal the workers who did the grunt work, the heavy, tedious work, giving them their due, too. I should also note that these women were largely shunted aside and their contributions largely forgotten or even ignored, so I applaud Sheppard for giving them the spotlight.
Bottom line, I plan to go back through this book periodically to better digest what is within. These women deserve that. I simply cannot imagine the difficulties they faced while surrounded by people whose language they didn't speak and men who considered them inconsequential and thus not only made it more difficult for them to get official permission to excavate but gave them little credit for all their accomplishments. Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress for letting me time-travel back to this Golden Age of Egypt's exploration and archaeology to meet these intriguing women.
Basically, what you have here is a rather thorough history of not just these women and the archaeology of Egypt, but a decent history of Egypt's history itself. It's solid and not particularly detailed but more than adequate to give readers a feel for the give-and-take and various international influences on the area. Like many, I probably first became interested in this area due to Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb of "King Tut", so it was intriguing to read about the various women who were there before and during his time. It was also interesting to be reminded that early excavations were, sigh, almost anything but done carefully, think dynamite, rather than each item being carefully retrieved and documented. As a lover of history, it made me sad to imagine how much was lost but, anyway, on to the ladies.
Many that came were wealthy, many flocking to Egypt in hopes the dry air might improve their health. For instance, Lady Duff Gordon, one of the more recognized names in the book, traveled to Luxor, Egypt, in 1864 hoping for a tuberculosis cure. She wrote of her experiences and all the wonders she saw. Her writings would inspire others, others who play key roles in this book. I'm not going to detail these women, much as I'd like to (see the blurb for names), as it'd take pages, but will say that each touched those who came after in some way. While we do get to know these women as the book goes along, the focus is on their work, not them as private individuals. Most documented their stays in some way, often through letters home or diaries. Some of their writings, to their credit, reveal the workers who did the grunt work, the heavy, tedious work, giving them their due, too. I should also note that these women were largely shunted aside and their contributions largely forgotten or even ignored, so I applaud Sheppard for giving them the spotlight.
Bottom line, I plan to go back through this book periodically to better digest what is within. These women deserve that. I simply cannot imagine the difficulties they faced while surrounded by people whose language they didn't speak and men who considered them inconsequential and thus not only made it more difficult for them to get official permission to excavate but gave them little credit for all their accomplishments. Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress for letting me time-travel back to this Golden Age of Egypt's exploration and archaeology to meet these intriguing women.
May 28, 2024
BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard from St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
Oh dear. As a near-lifelong fan of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Newberry Honor-winning novel The Egypt Game and avowed feminist, I was absolutely certain that I would find this book fascinating.
I was absolutely wrong.
It felt like assigned reading for a college course. And I’m quite certain it is historically accurate and a very important addition to the field of Egyptology, if the pages and pages of image permissions and notes are any indication of such.
But I just couldn’t get past about p29 in the electronic copy. So boring. SO, so boring.
DESCRIPTION
The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Margaret’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
Received a complimentary copy of Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard from St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
Oh dear. As a near-lifelong fan of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Newberry Honor-winning novel The Egypt Game and avowed feminist, I was absolutely certain that I would find this book fascinating.
I was absolutely wrong.
It felt like assigned reading for a college course. And I’m quite certain it is historically accurate and a very important addition to the field of Egyptology, if the pages and pages of image permissions and notes are any indication of such.
But I just couldn’t get past about p29 in the electronic copy. So boring. SO, so boring.
DESCRIPTION
The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Margaret’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
July 14, 2024
***ARC received from St. Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***
Women in the Valley of the Kings tells the stories of many of the women that helped shape Egyptology. Each chapter tells of a woman or two that explores their stories from earlier in their life to the end of their life, not just focusing on their time in Egypt. It was fun learning about their adventures and why for many of them it was health that brought them to the country but love for what they found that kept them there. Many of the women went with female companions, sometimes friends other times their lovers exploring a freedom that we forget sometimes women may have had even during a time of female oppression.
Sometimes the chapters overlap since they spent time in Egypt at the same time as others but they also explore from the closer to the beginning up to after the war when Egypt was finally allowed to flex autonomy over its own land. Its interesting seeing how the women responded to this. I also liked seeing how they were influenced and followed in the path set by the women that came before them. Likely there are others that were fully lost to history but I am glad to have had a chance to learn more about the women that did have an impact on what we know about ancient Egyptian history.
While the book starts out slow it does build up and while the writing is good, if a bit overly clinical. It can get heavy on details but particularly in the first chapter but the writing seems to find her grove with a balance of giving detail and fleshing out the women of the stories life. Going into a little more detail about what they did in personal lives. While the book touches on it in the beginning I wish it had gone into a little more detail or be a little more honest about how these women treated Egypt and its people. The men don’t really get spared, many of them were destructive in their search for gold but it never felt like the women were looked at in a critical light in the same way. There is nothing wrong with being honest in how westerners, even these women, treated Egypt like a playground only for the white folks.
As much as I liked this book I just kept feeling like I wasn’t the target audience. There is so much information in this book, so many names thrown out without any explanation for who they are it got a bit overwhelming of a read. Like I have a basic understanding of Egyptology and the discovery of the tombs but that just wasn’t enough. I think people that have a much stronger understanding and already know who many of these people are would likely find more enjoyment in this book as they wouldn’t have to be like me constantly trying to figure out who these folks are.
In the end Women in the Valley of the Kings is an interesting look at the unsung stories of the women that helped shape out understanding and the workings of Egyptology.
Women in the Valley of the Kings tells the stories of many of the women that helped shape Egyptology. Each chapter tells of a woman or two that explores their stories from earlier in their life to the end of their life, not just focusing on their time in Egypt. It was fun learning about their adventures and why for many of them it was health that brought them to the country but love for what they found that kept them there. Many of the women went with female companions, sometimes friends other times their lovers exploring a freedom that we forget sometimes women may have had even during a time of female oppression.
Sometimes the chapters overlap since they spent time in Egypt at the same time as others but they also explore from the closer to the beginning up to after the war when Egypt was finally allowed to flex autonomy over its own land. Its interesting seeing how the women responded to this. I also liked seeing how they were influenced and followed in the path set by the women that came before them. Likely there are others that were fully lost to history but I am glad to have had a chance to learn more about the women that did have an impact on what we know about ancient Egyptian history.
While the book starts out slow it does build up and while the writing is good, if a bit overly clinical. It can get heavy on details but particularly in the first chapter but the writing seems to find her grove with a balance of giving detail and fleshing out the women of the stories life. Going into a little more detail about what they did in personal lives. While the book touches on it in the beginning I wish it had gone into a little more detail or be a little more honest about how these women treated Egypt and its people. The men don’t really get spared, many of them were destructive in their search for gold but it never felt like the women were looked at in a critical light in the same way. There is nothing wrong with being honest in how westerners, even these women, treated Egypt like a playground only for the white folks.
As much as I liked this book I just kept feeling like I wasn’t the target audience. There is so much information in this book, so many names thrown out without any explanation for who they are it got a bit overwhelming of a read. Like I have a basic understanding of Egyptology and the discovery of the tombs but that just wasn’t enough. I think people that have a much stronger understanding and already know who many of these people are would likely find more enjoyment in this book as they wouldn’t have to be like me constantly trying to figure out who these folks are.
In the end Women in the Valley of the Kings is an interesting look at the unsung stories of the women that helped shape out understanding and the workings of Egyptology.
July 28, 2024
The story of Egyptology itself often proves as dramatic and exciting as the people and places of ancient Egypt. And, as within the story of ancient Egypt, the contributions of many of those who advanced the field of Egyptology has been forgotten.
Kathleen Sheppard attempts to redress some of this neglect in Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age (galley received as part of an early review program).
She vividly narrates what we can know about eleven specific women who were active in some aspect of Egyptology from between the end of the American Civil War and World War II (ca. 1869-1941): Amelia Edwards, Marianne Brocklehurst, Maggie Brunson, Nettie Gourlay, Emma Andrews, Margaret Alice Murray, Kate Griffith, Emily Paterson, Myrtle Broome, Amice Calverly, and Caroline Ransom Williams.
When I was younger I hoped to pursue Egyptology and have ever since kept abreast of new discoveries and the state of Egyptological discourse; I was certainly aware of many of the male characters found in this book like Gaston Maspero, Flinders Petrie, Theodore Davis, Howard Carter, and the like. James Henry Breasted came from my hometown. A couple of the names of the women might have been mentioned here or there, but very little in previous literature spoke much of them.
But just because little was written did not mean they did little. As the author sets forth, these women helped kickstart and run the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society), led archaeological digs and art preservation initiatives in their own right, and helped actively coordinate and document significant finds. Without Emma Andrews, for instance, we know much less about the significant tombs Theodore Davis’ teams uncovered. Margaret Alice Murray was left to basically organize and teach Egyptology at University College London, and many of the luminaries of Egyptology gained their initial instruction from her. Caroline Ransom Williams was the best educated, most highly competent Egyptologist in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, was single-handedly responsible for the curation of much of what passes for the Egyptological section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a highly regarded associate of James Henry Breasted.
The author did well at showing both dimensions of these women: they were all Westerners working as part of a colonial project, but as women more was expected of them not only from the men but also from the Egyptian communities. Often what might be known about the other group passed over in silence - the Egyptian workers who did the actual digging and exploration for the Westerners - comes from the journals and reports of these women.
The author’s work proves very useful in making sure the stories of these women and their contributions to Egyptology are remembered and recognized. Hopefully they will start getting their due.
Kathleen Sheppard attempts to redress some of this neglect in Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age (galley received as part of an early review program).
She vividly narrates what we can know about eleven specific women who were active in some aspect of Egyptology from between the end of the American Civil War and World War II (ca. 1869-1941): Amelia Edwards, Marianne Brocklehurst, Maggie Brunson, Nettie Gourlay, Emma Andrews, Margaret Alice Murray, Kate Griffith, Emily Paterson, Myrtle Broome, Amice Calverly, and Caroline Ransom Williams.
When I was younger I hoped to pursue Egyptology and have ever since kept abreast of new discoveries and the state of Egyptological discourse; I was certainly aware of many of the male characters found in this book like Gaston Maspero, Flinders Petrie, Theodore Davis, Howard Carter, and the like. James Henry Breasted came from my hometown. A couple of the names of the women might have been mentioned here or there, but very little in previous literature spoke much of them.
But just because little was written did not mean they did little. As the author sets forth, these women helped kickstart and run the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society), led archaeological digs and art preservation initiatives in their own right, and helped actively coordinate and document significant finds. Without Emma Andrews, for instance, we know much less about the significant tombs Theodore Davis’ teams uncovered. Margaret Alice Murray was left to basically organize and teach Egyptology at University College London, and many of the luminaries of Egyptology gained their initial instruction from her. Caroline Ransom Williams was the best educated, most highly competent Egyptologist in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, was single-handedly responsible for the curation of much of what passes for the Egyptological section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a highly regarded associate of James Henry Breasted.
The author did well at showing both dimensions of these women: they were all Westerners working as part of a colonial project, but as women more was expected of them not only from the men but also from the Egyptian communities. Often what might be known about the other group passed over in silence - the Egyptian workers who did the actual digging and exploration for the Westerners - comes from the journals and reports of these women.
The author’s work proves very useful in making sure the stories of these women and their contributions to Egyptology are remembered and recognized. Hopefully they will start getting their due.
July 19, 2024
Women in the Valley of the Kings
By Kathleen Sheppard
This history will delight not only women interested in Egyptology or Victorian women travelers, but those in favour of women's emancipation, anyone examining Victorian-era same-sex relationships, and fans of the Amelia Peabody novels by Elizabeth Peters. That last group already know the series’ heroine was named for, and inspired by, Amelia B. Edwards, whose early impact on the study and preservation of Egyptian antiquities cannot be overstated. Amelia P even sails the Nile in a dahabiyeh named for the one rented by Amelia B a few decades earlier (The Philae).
The book will also infuriate many with its detailed account of myriad ways in which the female fore-sisters of modern Egyptology were overlooked, silenced, ignored, and written out of the official records even when their record-keeping was used as primary sources by male Egyptologists and their wealthy patrons for fame, acclaim, published excavation reports, and academic treatises. The free-spirited and wealthy American, Emma Andrews, long remembered only as the mistress of the Egyptophilic archaeological patron Theodore Davis, not only jointly funded excavations with him but was rigorous in her daily recording of activities at their dig sites. Her journals, maps, and drawings were sometimes the only source of information about significant finds credited to Davies or his hired archaeologists, yet she never received credit in her lifetime and there is no known surviving photograph of her. And none of the women in this book are mentioned in the most recent Wikipedia page on the Valley of the Kings (as of July 2024).
This is not a dry academic book, but a readily readable series of interconnected profiles of the women who reshaped Egyptian excavation from a disorganized, disrespectful race for personal glory into a scholarly, rigorous discipline, along the way advancing not only academic understanding of ancient Egyptian society but also women’s educational opportunities and their professional standing in several formerly male-dominated arenas.
Back around to the fans of the Amelia Peabody series of historical mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters: this book is a feast for any of you who thrilled to each significant KV tomb found during Amelia P’s adventures, or the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, or the mummies of Yuya and Thuya, whose daughter Tiye became the chief wife of Amenhotep III. So many familiar references lend their life and substance to the fictional discoveries by Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson, their son Ramses and his wife Nefret. It's an excellent accompaniment to that fictional family, and a really good read as a standalone book on early women archaeologists.
#Egyptology #History #WomensHistory #WomenInTheValleyOfTheKings #NetGalley
By Kathleen Sheppard
This history will delight not only women interested in Egyptology or Victorian women travelers, but those in favour of women's emancipation, anyone examining Victorian-era same-sex relationships, and fans of the Amelia Peabody novels by Elizabeth Peters. That last group already know the series’ heroine was named for, and inspired by, Amelia B. Edwards, whose early impact on the study and preservation of Egyptian antiquities cannot be overstated. Amelia P even sails the Nile in a dahabiyeh named for the one rented by Amelia B a few decades earlier (The Philae).
The book will also infuriate many with its detailed account of myriad ways in which the female fore-sisters of modern Egyptology were overlooked, silenced, ignored, and written out of the official records even when their record-keeping was used as primary sources by male Egyptologists and their wealthy patrons for fame, acclaim, published excavation reports, and academic treatises. The free-spirited and wealthy American, Emma Andrews, long remembered only as the mistress of the Egyptophilic archaeological patron Theodore Davis, not only jointly funded excavations with him but was rigorous in her daily recording of activities at their dig sites. Her journals, maps, and drawings were sometimes the only source of information about significant finds credited to Davies or his hired archaeologists, yet she never received credit in her lifetime and there is no known surviving photograph of her. And none of the women in this book are mentioned in the most recent Wikipedia page on the Valley of the Kings (as of July 2024).
This is not a dry academic book, but a readily readable series of interconnected profiles of the women who reshaped Egyptian excavation from a disorganized, disrespectful race for personal glory into a scholarly, rigorous discipline, along the way advancing not only academic understanding of ancient Egyptian society but also women’s educational opportunities and their professional standing in several formerly male-dominated arenas.
Back around to the fans of the Amelia Peabody series of historical mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters: this book is a feast for any of you who thrilled to each significant KV tomb found during Amelia P’s adventures, or the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, or the mummies of Yuya and Thuya, whose daughter Tiye became the chief wife of Amenhotep III. So many familiar references lend their life and substance to the fictional discoveries by Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson, their son Ramses and his wife Nefret. It's an excellent accompaniment to that fictional family, and a really good read as a standalone book on early women archaeologists.
#Egyptology #History #WomensHistory #WomenInTheValleyOfTheKings #NetGalley
November 18, 2023
Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
*******************************************************
. The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travellers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Murray’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on-site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
I so wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was growing up but knew that the heat would kill me – a trip to Egypt confirmed this….bubble to those people who say BUT IT IS A DRY HEAT … it was unreal, In MARCH. These women were fascinating and wonderful to spend time with --- I had never heard of any of them but am now considering them rock stars especially as they are uncredited for their work
Perfect for book club and feminists … or ANTI-feminists like me! Highly recommended.
#shortbutsweetreviews
*******************************************************
. The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.
The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.
In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travellers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.
As each woman scored success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Murray’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on-site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.
I so wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was growing up but knew that the heat would kill me – a trip to Egypt confirmed this….bubble to those people who say BUT IT IS A DRY HEAT … it was unreal, In MARCH. These women were fascinating and wonderful to spend time with --- I had never heard of any of them but am now considering them rock stars especially as they are uncredited for their work
Perfect for book club and feminists … or ANTI-feminists like me! Highly recommended.
#shortbutsweetreviews
July 16, 2024
Kathleen Sheppard’s Women in the Valley of Kings will open readers’ eyes to the largely unknown role women played in Egyptology from the 1860s into the early decades of the 20th century.
I was especially surprised to learn how early women became Egyptologists by accident, falling into the work after traveling to the area for health reasons. Lady Lucie Duff Gordon, for example, arrived in Egypt at age 41, leaving behind a husband, children, and the cold, damp English weather for the dry Egyptian climate in hopes of curing her tuberculosis. Learning Arabic and teaching English to local children, she wrote detailed letters home depicting the Luxor area and culture. Her published letters inspired others, particularly women, to travel to Egypt. One such woman, Maggie Benson, also came for the “air cure,” not only for tuberculosis but also for anxiety issues. The first woman to apply for and receive permission to excavate the Temple of Mut near Luxor, Benson was joined a year later by Janet “Nettie” Gourley. Together the pair of women excavated and repaired statues from the temple, replaced them, and produced an 1899 book still considered important reading for archaeologists and anyone interested in Egyptology.
While Western men often fought Egyptians and even each other, competing for excavation permits and excavated objects to be removed from the country and sold in their home countries, for example to the British Museum, the women tended to work more closely with the Egyptians, preserving objects, using their artistic skills to replicate such things as tomb murals to be reproduced for scholarly purposes, writing, working on and off site, using their own money and raising money, teaching, working with museums and scholarly societies, and generally focusing on more constructive work than did the men, who were largely focused on excavating and selling.
In seven chapters, some focused on a single female Egyptologists and others on two, Sheppard describes the women’s work and the challenges they had to overcome in a male-dominated field, fills in personal background information, and points out how each individual’s contributions led to the subsequent women’s work.
While Sheppard’s well-researched book should be read by students and professionals in the field, general readers interested in Egyptology, cultural history, and women’s history will find it easily accessible, educational, and even entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin��s Press for an advance reader egalley of this highly recommended new non-fiction study of women’s contribution to Egyptology.
I was especially surprised to learn how early women became Egyptologists by accident, falling into the work after traveling to the area for health reasons. Lady Lucie Duff Gordon, for example, arrived in Egypt at age 41, leaving behind a husband, children, and the cold, damp English weather for the dry Egyptian climate in hopes of curing her tuberculosis. Learning Arabic and teaching English to local children, she wrote detailed letters home depicting the Luxor area and culture. Her published letters inspired others, particularly women, to travel to Egypt. One such woman, Maggie Benson, also came for the “air cure,” not only for tuberculosis but also for anxiety issues. The first woman to apply for and receive permission to excavate the Temple of Mut near Luxor, Benson was joined a year later by Janet “Nettie” Gourley. Together the pair of women excavated and repaired statues from the temple, replaced them, and produced an 1899 book still considered important reading for archaeologists and anyone interested in Egyptology.
While Western men often fought Egyptians and even each other, competing for excavation permits and excavated objects to be removed from the country and sold in their home countries, for example to the British Museum, the women tended to work more closely with the Egyptians, preserving objects, using their artistic skills to replicate such things as tomb murals to be reproduced for scholarly purposes, writing, working on and off site, using their own money and raising money, teaching, working with museums and scholarly societies, and generally focusing on more constructive work than did the men, who were largely focused on excavating and selling.
In seven chapters, some focused on a single female Egyptologists and others on two, Sheppard describes the women’s work and the challenges they had to overcome in a male-dominated field, fills in personal background information, and points out how each individual’s contributions led to the subsequent women’s work.
While Sheppard’s well-researched book should be read by students and professionals in the field, general readers interested in Egyptology, cultural history, and women’s history will find it easily accessible, educational, and even entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin��s Press for an advance reader egalley of this highly recommended new non-fiction study of women’s contribution to Egyptology.
July 17, 2024
4.5 stars.
A great nonfiction read diving into the lives of women Egyptologists who worked through the Victorian and Gilded Age and in to the middle of the 20th century.
Sheppard acknowledges the colonialism inherent in the field of Egyptology, and the role these women played in it; it's an undeniable component of 19th and 20th century Egypt. But the women who worked alongside and even managed some of the more famous men also found themselves erased from history or confined to simple footnotes in scholarly citations. (It's hard for this historical romance reader not to think of The Countess Conspiracy where in her author's note, Courtney Milan says she was inspired in part by a footnote in a scientific paper that thanked the scientist's wife for what amounted to almost the entirety of the labor and work of the paper.)
The book is organized chronologically, with the understanding that not only did the field of Egyptology progress, but that the achievements of each of these women built upon one another. She highlights 11 specific women from Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst in the 1890s - a queer couple!! - to Caroline Ransom Williams, who was an active academic from 1908 through her death in 1592 and had a PhD in a field where many of her predecessors were not even allowed undergraduate degrees. Most of the women highlighted were solidly middle class Brits, and many of them suffered from autoimmune diseases which sent them from the cold damp of England to the warm dry air of Egypt to recover, and give them energy that sparked their imaginations.
The book is written as a narrative, placing the reader in the time with each of the women. As a nonfiction style, this doesn't typically work for me, but it's a popular style that will draw many readers. As many of these women were erased or mentioned only in passing in academic papers, Sheppard pulls her research from their journals and correspondence, which paints fuller lives than the stark academic journals of the male Egyptologists alongside whom they worked and lived. Assiduously researched and with nearly 500 footnotes, Sheppard gives us an incredible history. The eARC did not have any of the images, but there are citations throughout, so pick this book up in print if you can! If you've ever watched The Mummy on repeat or memorized the lines of Amelia Peabody or Mr Impossible, this book is for you.
Thank you to St Martins Press for an eARC for review. I ended up also listening to the audiobook because that's where my brain is right now. It's narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, who makes it feel both academic and engaging. Women in the Valley of the Kings is out now.
A great nonfiction read diving into the lives of women Egyptologists who worked through the Victorian and Gilded Age and in to the middle of the 20th century.
Sheppard acknowledges the colonialism inherent in the field of Egyptology, and the role these women played in it; it's an undeniable component of 19th and 20th century Egypt. But the women who worked alongside and even managed some of the more famous men also found themselves erased from history or confined to simple footnotes in scholarly citations. (It's hard for this historical romance reader not to think of The Countess Conspiracy where in her author's note, Courtney Milan says she was inspired in part by a footnote in a scientific paper that thanked the scientist's wife for what amounted to almost the entirety of the labor and work of the paper.)
The book is organized chronologically, with the understanding that not only did the field of Egyptology progress, but that the achievements of each of these women built upon one another. She highlights 11 specific women from Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst in the 1890s - a queer couple!! - to Caroline Ransom Williams, who was an active academic from 1908 through her death in 1592 and had a PhD in a field where many of her predecessors were not even allowed undergraduate degrees. Most of the women highlighted were solidly middle class Brits, and many of them suffered from autoimmune diseases which sent them from the cold damp of England to the warm dry air of Egypt to recover, and give them energy that sparked their imaginations.
The book is written as a narrative, placing the reader in the time with each of the women. As a nonfiction style, this doesn't typically work for me, but it's a popular style that will draw many readers. As many of these women were erased or mentioned only in passing in academic papers, Sheppard pulls her research from their journals and correspondence, which paints fuller lives than the stark academic journals of the male Egyptologists alongside whom they worked and lived. Assiduously researched and with nearly 500 footnotes, Sheppard gives us an incredible history. The eARC did not have any of the images, but there are citations throughout, so pick this book up in print if you can! If you've ever watched The Mummy on repeat or memorized the lines of Amelia Peabody or Mr Impossible, this book is for you.
Thank you to St Martins Press for an eARC for review. I ended up also listening to the audiobook because that's where my brain is right now. It's narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, who makes it feel both academic and engaging. Women in the Valley of the Kings is out now.
September 6, 2024
"They were not women behind the men; they were, however, overshadowed."
Sheppard writes about 11 women who helped pioneer the field of Egyptology from roughly the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, with a lot of focus on the turn of the 20th century. Most did actually spend time in Egypt, working at the sites and in the tombs. Some of them, particularly the later ones, spend most of their time teaching or running organizations that allow other people (i.e., men) to do the work in the field. Sheppard follows them roughly chronologically, so the same women pop up in multiple chapters.
There's a lot of good in this book. It was fascinating learning about the women (what we could know; a lot of these women's lives have been totally lost) while also learning about how the field of Egyptology developed. Reading about how people originally visited the area, what kind of places they stayed, what kind of work they did--all really interesting. I enjoyed finding out the various kinds of work they did and the education they did (and didn't) have. Sheppard highlights how the women pioneers were regarded and does a good job including the people who worked FOR these (almost exclusively) British colonizers. I also liked her pointing out the differences in how men and women recorded their work and lives, as well as their lives themselves (the women, of course, doing not only work with the excavations but also dealing with the households, entertaining visitors, and providing medical services to people who would just show up and assume they could get help). I also liked getting a feel for the history of Egypt itself during this period, going from a colony to quasi-independent to actually independent.
All that said, I had a hard time remembering exactly who was who (this was not helped by my pausing for a few weeks in the middle of reading) and also frequently got bogged down in the details. Sheppard clearly did a lot of research, both on the women AND on the sites, and a LOT of it is included in the book, to the point of being overwhelming. (This was probably also not helped by my not having a ton of knowledge of Egyptian history.) All THAT said, I didn't find this book as dry as some other reviewers seem to have. The writing style was engaging enough...most of the time.
I'd recommend this for people who have a particular interest in Egyptology moreso than for people just interested in women's history of the Gilded Age.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sheppard writes about 11 women who helped pioneer the field of Egyptology from roughly the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, with a lot of focus on the turn of the 20th century. Most did actually spend time in Egypt, working at the sites and in the tombs. Some of them, particularly the later ones, spend most of their time teaching or running organizations that allow other people (i.e., men) to do the work in the field. Sheppard follows them roughly chronologically, so the same women pop up in multiple chapters.
There's a lot of good in this book. It was fascinating learning about the women (what we could know; a lot of these women's lives have been totally lost) while also learning about how the field of Egyptology developed. Reading about how people originally visited the area, what kind of places they stayed, what kind of work they did--all really interesting. I enjoyed finding out the various kinds of work they did and the education they did (and didn't) have. Sheppard highlights how the women pioneers were regarded and does a good job including the people who worked FOR these (almost exclusively) British colonizers. I also liked her pointing out the differences in how men and women recorded their work and lives, as well as their lives themselves (the women, of course, doing not only work with the excavations but also dealing with the households, entertaining visitors, and providing medical services to people who would just show up and assume they could get help). I also liked getting a feel for the history of Egypt itself during this period, going from a colony to quasi-independent to actually independent.
All that said, I had a hard time remembering exactly who was who (this was not helped by my pausing for a few weeks in the middle of reading) and also frequently got bogged down in the details. Sheppard clearly did a lot of research, both on the women AND on the sites, and a LOT of it is included in the book, to the point of being overwhelming. (This was probably also not helped by my not having a ton of knowledge of Egyptian history.) All THAT said, I didn't find this book as dry as some other reviewers seem to have. The writing style was engaging enough...most of the time.
I'd recommend this for people who have a particular interest in Egyptology moreso than for people just interested in women's history of the Gilded Age.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 29, 2024
Having read Lynne Olson's "Empress of the Nile" on early French Egyptian archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, I was really eager to learn more about other early women Egyptologists with this book. Unfortunately, while I got a little from it, I can't say I learned as much as I was hoping to.
We get a taste of what it would have been like to be a woman wanting to study archaeology in the time period- and are reminded that no one really had officially "studied" so much as they were still making some things up as they went, developing techniques, etc. Local workers were doing the real work most of the time and getting none of the credit.
We get dry chapters about women, some of whom spent years on digs, others who spent few years on digs and most of their time organizing funding for others to go to sites, others taught future archaeologists. Some lectured and brought ancient Egypt to the interest of the general public, or curated and organized the huge collections of artifactes being shipped back from the digs and then arranged the museum exhibits to educate American and British audiences (and hopefully get them to write the checks that would keep funding the digs).
The book suffers from repetition and a need for more editing than it got. Someone coming at the book with no knowledge of the people beforehand will be overwhelmed by the number of people who are named as if the reader is already supposed to know them. Because many of the women crossed paths they pop in and out of each other's chapters, but then a random "Nettie" will show up and you aren't sure if it is the Nettie you're going to read about later or someone you haven't been introduced to yet. The chapters aren't entirely chronological, which would have helped me keep some of the people straight- I think. You do get to see plenty of examples of how differntly women are treated, how they are taken advantage of, and how crucial their work is to the advancement of Egyptology at the time while the men take all the credit- which isn't surprising, but certainly annoying. I did find it interesting how differently the men and women mentioned treated those around them and recorded their experiences.
Overall, not a great book, but ok. Probably more useful if you already have some background knowledge of some of the people or history going on here. The author also stays completely in England and a little in America, so you don't get an idea on if other countries have women Egyptologists at the same time.
I received ann ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
We get a taste of what it would have been like to be a woman wanting to study archaeology in the time period- and are reminded that no one really had officially "studied" so much as they were still making some things up as they went, developing techniques, etc. Local workers were doing the real work most of the time and getting none of the credit.
We get dry chapters about women, some of whom spent years on digs, others who spent few years on digs and most of their time organizing funding for others to go to sites, others taught future archaeologists. Some lectured and brought ancient Egypt to the interest of the general public, or curated and organized the huge collections of artifactes being shipped back from the digs and then arranged the museum exhibits to educate American and British audiences (and hopefully get them to write the checks that would keep funding the digs).
The book suffers from repetition and a need for more editing than it got. Someone coming at the book with no knowledge of the people beforehand will be overwhelmed by the number of people who are named as if the reader is already supposed to know them. Because many of the women crossed paths they pop in and out of each other's chapters, but then a random "Nettie" will show up and you aren't sure if it is the Nettie you're going to read about later or someone you haven't been introduced to yet. The chapters aren't entirely chronological, which would have helped me keep some of the people straight- I think. You do get to see plenty of examples of how differntly women are treated, how they are taken advantage of, and how crucial their work is to the advancement of Egyptology at the time while the men take all the credit- which isn't surprising, but certainly annoying. I did find it interesting how differently the men and women mentioned treated those around them and recorded their experiences.
Overall, not a great book, but ok. Probably more useful if you already have some background knowledge of some of the people or history going on here. The author also stays completely in England and a little in America, so you don't get an idea on if other countries have women Egyptologists at the same time.
I received ann ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
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