Read on Twitter
And @petriefriends' panel on 'The Eugenic and Racist Ideas of Flinders Petrie' is about to start 
Very much looking forward to this conversation, and thanks for planning it so that we on the other side of the pond can attend! @PetrieMuseEgypt
Very much looking forward to this conversation, and thanks for planning it so that we on the other side of the pond can attend! @PetrieMuseEgypt
Lucia Gahlin: @petriefriends are committed to acknowledge and engage with the whole, broad scpectrum of ideas evidenced in @PetrieMuseEgypt, including those that are now triggering discomfort.
Chloe Ward: "focus wil be not so much on whether the museum should be renamed or not, but rather on *why* some think it should be renamed". Kudos to the organisers for a nuanced intro and for being willing to host this important conversation.
1st @ActivismLearn sets the stage on museums' exploration of the intersection btw archaeology and eugenics. Petrie, like many of his colleagues, held racist views, as typical of late 19th c. turn toward evolutionary theories. The views pertain to skin colour+class+disability.
Petrie made casts+photographs of ancient Egyptian reliefs+sculptures in order to racially profile/typologize them. Results presented at a conference in 1888. Racial photographs ended up in Sayce's "Races of the Old Testament" - @ActivismLearn (paging @rachel_r_mairs here)
The discussion of Petrie's treatment of baby human remains found buried in boxes in domestic context is fascinating.
It also intersects with a recent @TheEES- #EOTalks feat. @cparen @Sanchita_writes @GawadHeba @aliceestevenson https://everydayorientalism.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/eotalks-your-mummies-their-ancestors-caring-for-and-about-ancient-egyptian-human-remains/
It also intersects with a recent @TheEES- #EOTalks feat. @cparen @Sanchita_writes @GawadHeba @aliceestevenson https://everydayorientalism.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/eotalks-your-mummies-their-ancestors-caring-for-and-about-ancient-egyptian-human-remains/
Petrie's hypothesized that infant human remains burried in boxes were results of abortion or infanticide. @ActivismLearn examines this stance within the 19th c. British treatment and representations of working class + destitutes' bodies.
Petrie was into measuring cranes+using data to generate racial results. Graph below: right = climate; bottom = intelligence; left = centigrade. "Bushman"+"Eskimo" = least intelligent vs Ancient Egypt/France/Britain = most intelligent. Really? What a surprise!
paging @kataplexis
paging @kataplexis
More racist and classist nonsense from Petrie
There was little resistance to Petrie's eugenist views at the time. One notable dissenting voice was...W.E.B. Du Bois!
Archive where letter below is from available online, says @ActivismLearn
Paging #classicstwitter here
Archive where letter below is from available online, says @ActivismLearn
Paging #classicstwitter here
I missed one section (live tweeting is hard!). Now @activismlearn is briefly discussing Petrie's Palestine/Jerusalem period starting in 1939.
"You need to be resilient emotionally to do this work...and you need the support of your colleagues and institution when you do such work in the archives", says @activismlearn, while acknowledging her privileges, "some of which I share w Petrie's".
Reflection above makes me think of one of yesterday's important #ScholarStrikeCanada teach-ins https://twitter.com/isisnaucratis/status/1304110182943907841
"Who is heritage for? Those who belong, or those in the margins?" @ActivismLearn argues that @PetrieMuseEgypt needs to listen to wider ranges of voices, incl. in the 'margins', in order to creating trust and broaden the stories told.
And @ActivismLearn's talk ends with this shoutout to @AwolErizku, whose work also pays tribute to Nefertiti 
Q&A starts with @profjoecain: "We need to amplify some msgs+reduce the volume of some msgs. I'd rather make a mistake towards including people than something else, incl. support BLM and a name change. The problem is how to reduce emotional exclusio+increase instit. inclusion."
I need to take off but beforehand, I want to thank @ActivismLearn, @petriefriends and everyone who is taking part in the event. I see it is being recorded, so hopefully it will be made available online soon!
