The search for ancient Egypt and the race for possession
Raiders of the Lost Pharaohs tells the history of early Egyptology through the explorers who sought knowledge, prestige and valuable objects. The docudrama follows nineteenth-century discoveries while also considering the removal of treasures and competition between individuals and countries. Ancient Egypt is the object of the search; the adventurers and their ambitions supply the main historical narrative.
The opening chapter begins with Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition, as scholars and artists accompany the army and encounter evidence of a language that cannot yet be read. The later Battle of the Hieroglyphs follows Champollion’s effort to decipher it. Military ambition, collecting and intellectual discovery therefore develop within the same account.
