by
Mairs, Rachel.
Call Number
956 23
Publication Date
2015
Summary
"In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, growing numbers of tourists and scholars from Europe and America, fascinated by new discoveries, visited the Near East and Egypt - attracted by the riches and mysteries of the Lands of the Bible, the Pharaohs and the Arabian Nights. Almost all such visitors, no matter how esoteric or academic their pursuits, had to deal with the local authorities and the native people who would comprise the workforce for the archaeological excavations. Although a number of archaeologists we discuss eventually learned to speak the local languages (mostly Arabic), the majority of them had to rely on interpreters, dragomans, translators, and local guides. This study, based on the published travel memoirs, guidebooks, personal papers, and archaeological reports of the British and American archaeologists, deals with the socio-political status and multi-faceted role of interpreters at the time. Those bi- or multi-lingual individuals frequently took on (or were forced to take on) much more than just interpreting. The often played the role of go-betweens, servants, bodyguards, pimps, diplomats, spies, messengers, managers and overseers, and have had to mediate, scheme and often improvise, be that in their official or unofficial capacity. They have frequently, however, been denied credit and recognition for their part in undertaking all of these tasks."--Bloomsbury Publishing
Format:
Electronic Resources
Relevance:
0.0365
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by
Melotti, Marxiano.
Call Number
338.4791
Publication Date
2011
Summary
A wooden horse in the archaeological site of Troy, plastic ""Greek"" statues on the seabed, resin columns at the Roman Forum, painted copies of Altamira and Lescaux grottos, Tutankhamun's tomb in a casino of Las Vegas, fake Roman fortresses with legionnaire
Format:
Electronic Resources
Relevance:
57341.0352
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