Description
Egyptology is by no means a historically homogenous discipline. Despite being a field of global engagement, different national/local Egyptological approaches have been adopted in diverse shapes and forms rooted in local particularities, including national/regional histories, geopolitics, and economics, among other factors, consequently impacting knowledge production and consumption. Unsurprisingly, the histories of what might be envisaged as long-standing Egyptological powers tend to dominate the discipline’s historiographical discussions. Whereas some national/local narratives are better known by the community of Egyptologists, others have remained largely absent from Egyptology’s past and present debates.It is safe to assert that Portuguese Egyptology/ies pertain to the latter group. Despite evidencing both the historical and the geographical criteria that have traditionally facilitated the rising of a given national/regional Egyptology to the core of the discipline – i.e., a former colonial power located in the Global North – the Southern European country’s Egyptological (hi)stories have been left out of works dedicated to the History of Egyptology, including recent states of the art. Nonetheless, Portuguese Egyptology/ies do exist.
This paper intends to inscribe Portuguese Egyptology/ies in the current discussions on the field. From philological studies to fieldwork, including Reception Studies and museum research, Portuguese Egyptology/ies have been contributing to the discipline, partaking in ‘global Egyptology/ies’ while simultaneously evidencing national/local specificities. Rather than aiming for a quest on the ‘essence’ or ‘identity’ of Portuguese Egyptology/ies – which would fall into reductionist views - the primary purpose of this contribution is to present a brief diachronic panorama of the different avenues walked in Portugal vis-à-vis (ancient) Egypt, emphasising momentous historical-political events and agents that shaped, on the one hand, Portuguese interest in/for Egypt, and the fundamental features of Portuguese Egyptological academic endeavours, on the other.
| Period | 13 Sept 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 23rd Current Research in Egyptology |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 23 |
| Location | Basel, SwitzerlandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- Egyptology
- History of Egyptology
- Portugal