Learn about the beginnings of modern archaeology.
In the 19th century, the increased intensity of tourism and excavation, as well as the outflow of antiquities to other countries, threatened Egypt's archaeological heritage.
Egyptians took part in this destruction by ransacking sites for artifacts to sell, quarrying stones from ancient monuments and removing sebakh, ancient mud bricks, to reuse for their own purposes.
A major step in conserving Egypt's heritage was taken in 1858, when the Viceroy of Egypt created the Antiquities Service.
Supported by a team of foreign scholars, Auguste Mariette exerted an iron grip on the Service. he carried out his work across Egypt and into Nubia, intervening on almost every major site.
Aware of the necessity of keeping unearthed artifacts in Egypt, Mariette requested a museum be created for that purpose in 1858. This museum was the ancestor of the Egyptian Museum.
Gaston Maspero, Mariette's successor expanded and reorganized the Antiquities Service, and instigated laws regulating the export of artifacts.
French scholars ran the Service until it passed into Egyptian hands in the 1950s.
As of the mid-19th century, Egyptology was fast becoming a recognized discipline within both private institutions and learned societies.
A French architect, archaeologist and former research, Jean-Claude Golvin now specializes in the artistic reconstruction of ancient cities and monuments.
To date, he has created more than 800 drawings, which include three volumes focusing on the reconstitution of ancient Egypt.
His work is exquisitely detailed, and can be found in books and museums around the world.
(Behind the scenes)
The team was thrilled to collaborate with Jean-Claude Golvin in order to recreate Egypt for the game.
In the 19 exclusive watercolors he created for the team, Golvin used scientific data as the base and then extrapolated to provide a full interpretation of various locations and monuments in ancient Egypt.
Both early sketches and full rendered images were then used by the team as references while building the world of Assassin's Creed: Origins.
Although ancient Egypt's rich religious culture and its mortuary monuments continue to be investigated, the modern discipline of Egyptology has shifted focus. Rather than single-minded retrieving impressive artifacts, Egyptologists today focus instead on creasing the body of knowledge. In the past, excavations took place in the field, and while that is still the case today, much of the work on Egyptology now takes place in libraries and archives.
Today, archaeology in Egypt relies on an interdisciplinary approach where traditional Egyptologists are helped by a wide spectrum of scientists from other disciplines and new, non-invasive, techniques. GPS data, satellite imaging and ground-penetrating radar allow archaeologists to gain a sense of what lies underneath the ground before excavating.