Featured Graduate Student Research: Emilia Groupp
Featured Graduate Student Research: Emilia Groupp
Egypt has thousands of archaeological and heritage sites, yet the women and men working on archaeological sites have been afforded little attention in either archaeological or anthropological literature. Although Egyptian work forces have been addressed in a few recent historical studies, to date the study of Egyptian archaeological workers has never been approached from an anthropological perspective. My doctoral project focuses on contemporary ethnographic and historical research of archaeological dig sites in Egypt in order to gain insight into the relationship between local Egyptian communities and archaeological expeditions, the context within which Egyptological knowledge is produced, the social consequences of Egyptology in Egypt, and Egyptian experiences and perceptions of archaeology and cultural heritage.
In unpacking the social context of archaeological sites, the ethnographic study of archaeologists and excavation workers can contribute to a deeper understanding of how archaeological knowledge is produced. This project thus presents a new approach to examining the social and material roots of knowledge production that may be applied to global and comparative studies of human intellectual development. Further, despite the contribution local Egyptian peoples have made to the production of Egyptological knowledge, the protection of sites, and their excavation, they are almost never acknowledged in scholarly studies on the topic. Thus, this research will bring to light the extensive exchange between both local Egyptians and academic communities around the world and will recognize their contributions to major branches of the social sciences.
Some additional questions I am looking to explore through these materials include, how were archaeological projects pursued in the past as opposed to the present? What were the primary archaeological methods and how did they change over time? What rules, norms or conventions influenced how archaeology was conducted in Egypt? How did the colonial context affect archaeological projects? What insights can the archives offer with regards to questions about gender?
Given the sheer quantity of materials I was able to obtain, I’ve arranged for three research assistants to help me transcribe these materials over the course of the academic year through the Research Experience Program at the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS). These are volunteer interns, who will work 3-15 hours a week assisting me in transcribing, coding, and analyzing the archival materials, as well as developing a database of all archival materials I’ve obtained so far on archaeology in Egypt. In sum, the field trip to England provided me with a wealth of empirical data for my ongoing research projects. With this material, I will be able to not only finish several papers I have already started, but it will also enable me to publish further in this understudied field.
Emilia Groupp is a PhD student in Anthropology.