Very few would agree today with the methods Giovanni Belzoni used to access or transport the Egyptian treasures he discovered between 1815-1818. Extracting antiquities from their place of origin is not acceptable today nor haphazard digging and rough handling of artifacts. But the Egyptian treasures the ex-circus strongman brought to the attention of the world contributed greatly to the development of Egyptian archaeology.
Belzoni the Strongman
Described by Howard Carter as one of the most remarkable men in the history of archaeology, Belzoni started out as a barber in Italy. He then moved to England where due to his stature (6ft 6in) and exceptional strength he performed as a strongman (under the name the Patagonian Samson) in the circus for twelve years. But Belzoni was destined to discover some of the greatest Egyptian treasures in the world.
The Bust of Ramesses II
In 1815, Belzoni was engaged by Henry Salt, the British Consul-General, to travel to Thebes and remove the colossal bust of Ramesses II. Local officials, an occasionally rebellious labour force and the enormous quantities of sand caused delays and made his work arduous.
Belzoni wrote of the Egyptian treasure: "I found [Ramesses II] near the remains of his body and chair with his face upwards and apparently smiling at me, at the thought of being taken to England". (Belzoni, 1820) The bust weighed more than 7 tons.
After 17 days of hard labour involving some 130 men using levels and rollers and having amazed his workmen with his skills and enormous strength, Belzoni, the strongman managed to tow the bust of Ramesses II to the river and ship it to the British Museum.
The bust of Ramesses II, also known as the Younger Memnon, was one of the Egyptian treasures that amazed the public of the time. The bust arrived in the British Museum in 1818, laying the foundation for the Egyptian Monumental Sculpture collection.
The Tomb of Seti I
In 1817, having discovered the tombs of Amenhotep III, Ramesses I, Merneptah and Ay, Belzoni was fortunate to discover the longest (136m) and deepest of all New Kingdom royal tombs in the valley of the Kings, the tomb of Seti I. "It is a fortunate day", Belzoni exclaimed on gaining access to the tomb, "one of the best perhaps in my life".
The tomb of Seti I ranks among the top Egyptian treasures being the first tomb to feature decorations in every passageway and chamber. “The more I saw, the more I was eager to see, such being the nature of man”, wrote Belzoni. Belzoni gave all the chambers he saw names such as the Room of Beauties “for it’s adorned with the most beautiful figures in basso relievo”, the Room of Mysteries, the Hall of Pillars, etc.
After the burial chamber, Belzoni made his way to the crypt where he found “a sarcophagus of the finest oriental alabaster not having its equal in the world”. The tomb of Seti I is sometimes called Belzoni’s Tomb. Plaster casts of the tomb of Seti I were exhibited in 1821 in Piccadilly Circus, London.
Second Pyramid of Giza: Khafre Pyramid
In 1818, Belzoni the strongman, now an established Egyptian archaeologist, gained access to another Egyptian treasure: the second pyramid of Giza, called Khafre pyramid. To find the entrance to the pyramid was anything but easy as there were a number of false passages but Belzoni was determined not to give up.
Eventually, he was the first to penetrate the pyramid of Khafre and to investigate its subterranean sections. He modestly wrote: "Having made all my observations, we came out of the pyramid with no small degree of satisfaction; and I was highly gratified with the result of my labour, of very little more than a month".
Belzoni, the Strongman, the Author
In 1820 Belzoni published his Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries Within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs, and Excavations in Egypt and Nubia. The book was received enthusiastically and made the ex-circus strongman into a famous, published Egyptian archaeologist.
Belzoni died of dysentery in 1823 while conducting excavations in Africa.
Related Articles
Read about famous British Orientalist and author of Modern Egyptians, Edward William Lane, who was inspired by the discoveries of Belzoni, and his cultural immersion tips.
Sources:
Giovanni Belzoni, Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs and Excavations in Egypt and Nubia, Brussels 1835
Kari Beese, "Giovanni Battista Belzoni", Minnesota State University, Emuseum
Alan Winston, "The Great Pyramid of Khafre at Giza, TourEgypt (see link above)
Stanley Mayes, The Great Belzoni, Taurus Parke Paperbacks, 2008 (first published 1958).
Lito Apostolakou - Lito is a historian with an interest in digital archives and online historical resources. She is the author of blog Palimpsest.
