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Excavated from the Archives: Recovering the Contributions of Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn to Expeditions in Egypt, 1915-1921

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Excavated from the Archives: Recovering the Contributions of Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn to Expeditions in Egypt, 1915-1921 Excavated From the Archives: Recovering the Contributions of Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn to Expeditions in Egypt, 1915-1921 The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37736741 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Excavated from the Archives: Recovering the Contributions of Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn to Expeditions in Egypt, 1915-1921 Grace K. M. McCurry A Thesis in the Field of Middle Eastern Studies for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University November 2017 © 2017 Grace K. Mitchell McCurry Abstract This study explores the contributions of Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn, known throughout his lifetime as Ashton Sanborn, to four archaeological expeditions in Egypt during the early twentieth century: Clarence Fisher’s work at Dendera and Memphis during the 1915-1916 archaeological season, Fisher’s continuing excavations from 1919 to 1920, George Reisner’s expedition at the Giza Pyramids in 1920, and Reisner’s secondary excavations at Meroe in 1921. Sanborn worked closely with both Fisher and Reisner, two Egyptologists who became well known in their field during their lifetimes and beyond, particularly in Reisner’s case. Yet Sanborn’s name retains no immediate recognition; his life’s work has not been rewarded by historical memory, legacy, or any measure of scholarly fame. This study examines Sanborn’s personal correspondence during his time working with these excavation projects in coordination with the expedition diaries of Clarence Fisher, published materials resulting from the digs, and historical narratives that have survived over the past century. Were Sanborn’s professional contributions in fact crucial to the ultimate success of each of these four archaeological projects, despite his later obscurity? The primary results of this study has been that due to likely misappropriated or omitted official credit, ambiguous documentation of excavation efforts from which Sanborn’s work cannot be clearly disentangled, and personal affairs that affected Sanborn’s opportunities and contributions, a clear line cannot be drawn between Sanborn’s personal efforts and any of the four excavations examined. The ultimate conclusion of the study is that though Sanborn’s participation may have been critical, in varying degrees, to the excavations’ daily operations, his involvement was not necessarily fundamental to each project’s overall success. Despite such findings, this investigation of Sanborn’s contributions has brought to light invaluable historical and personal insight to significant wartime American expeditions in Egypt, revealing a previously unacknowledged voice in the field of Egyptology. Dedication To Neal. Always. v Acknowledgements The work that follows would not have been possible, in existence or scope, without the guidance and inexhaustible enthusiasm of Professor Peter Der Manuelian. He is a rock star in a field I only dreamed of exploring academically, and I will forever be grateful that he agreed to oversee this project in addition to infinite other obligations. My interest in Egyptology was first sparked by the novels of Elizabeth Peters, shared with me by my mother and grandmother almost two decades ago. All three of these women have created lasting legacies of family, love, and lives of adventure, and I continue to be inspired in all aspects of my life by their extraordinary examples. This work is the culmination of four years spent splitting time between full-time employment and a second life as a graduate student, and it has been a journey shared with many. To my dear friend, who helped me to finally pin down the focus for this project and has tirelessly encouraged my progress – our friendship has enriched my life forever. To my incredible parents, who have wholeheartedly supported this pursuit of mine – you are my champions, and I hope to always deserve the faith and confidence you have in me. And to my beloved, who patiently kept me company through late nights writing term papers and weekends spent studying for exams, throughout the chaos of our wedding planning and his own double life as a working student – we made it, and I love you. Lastly, to Ashton and Agnes Sanborn, who could never have known that an academic study would be made of their personal letters nearly a century later. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the Sanborn family for sharing their treasures with us. vi Table of Contents Dedication …………...………………………………………………………………….. .v Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………vi List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………...viii I. Introduction …………………………………………………………………...…. 1 II. Expedition at Dendera and Memphis, 1915-1916 Archaeological Season ……….21 III. Fisher’s Continuing Excavations, 1919-1920 Archaeological Season …………..36 IV. Reisner’s Excavations at Giza Pyramid Field, 1920 …………………………….61 V. Reisner’s Secondary Excavations in Meroe, Sudan, 1921…………………….…80 VI. Summary and Conclusions ………………………………………………………97 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………106 vii List of Figures Fig. 1 Ashton Sanborn in Egypt………………………………………………………….1 Fig. 2 Portrait of Clarence Stanley Fisher (1876–1941), ca. 1920s–1930s………...…...14 Fig. 3 George Andrew Reisner (1867-1942), 1933…………………………………..…16 Fig. 4 Cemetery at Dendera, November 13, 1915..……………………………………..21 Fig. 5 Palace of Merenptah, excavations at the South Portal…....……...……………….23 Fig. 6 Dendera camp courtyard………………………………………………………...30 Fig. 7 Dendera expedition camp site…………………………………………………....34 Fig. 8 Alexander Spanakidis and Clarence Fisher, May 16, 1919………………………38 Fig. 9 Memphis expedition house………………………………………………………47 Fig. 10 Western Cemetery at Giza, November 1915……………………………………..61 Fig. 11 Harvard Camp, June 10, 1914……...…………………………………………….76 Fig. 12 Royal necropolis of Meroe, Sudan…..…………………………………………...80 Fig. 13 Amazonian rhyton discovered at Meroe…………………………………………86 Fig. 14 Wedding guests at Begarawiyah, Sudan, March 12, 1921……………………….89 Fig. 15 Ashton Sanborn, May 16, 1919…………………………………………………104 viii Chapter I: Introduction Fig. 1 Ashton Sanborn in Egypt. Undated photograph from Agnes Goldman Sanborn collection. Cyrus Ashton Rollins Sanborn (1882-1970), or Ashton Sanborn as he was predominantly known, lived and worked in distant lands among fellow scholars destined to become legends within their respective scholarly fields. As a young man, Sanborn held various archaeological and academic staff positions in Greece, Palestine, and Egypt for over a decade, traveling the globe during the turbulent war years and often working with very little certainty about his current post and future prospects. After several years working in Egypt, Sanborn returned to the United States and ultimately settled into what became a successful and lifelong career with the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, 2 Massachusetts. His early work as an administrator, excavator, and archaeologist brought him into close and long-term contact with famous historical figures on a global stage of academic exploration and discovery, and many of these personal and professional relationships endured throughout his career with the MFA. And yet, his name retains no immediate recognition; his life’s work has not been rewarded by historical memory, legacy, or any measure of scholarly fame. As an archeologist in Egypt, Sanborn worked closely with Clarence Fisher (1876-1941) and George Reisner (1867-1942) for many years, both of whom became well-known figures in the field of Egyptology. Sanborn’s name remains a footnote, if afforded even that degree of recognition, in the lives of other great men and their pursuits. Professional hierarchy, and possibly a degree of personal pique, have subsumed years of Sanborn’s work and potential for legacy. This study examines Sanborn’s involvement with four particular archaeological expeditions during his career in Egypt and Sudan in the early twentieth century: Clarence Fisher’s work at Dendera and Memphis during the 1915- 1916 archaeological season, Fisher’s continuing excavation at Memphis from 1919 to 1920, George Reisner’s expedition at the Giza Pyramids in the final months of 1920, and Reisner’s secondary dig site at Meroe, Sudan, in the early months of 1921. In targeting these four specific expeditions for closer examination, this investigation will seek to uncover the true impact of Sanborn’s efforts for each project. Such an endeavor, regardless of this study’s ultimate conclusions, illuminates the inner workings of each expedition by examining a wealth of Sanborn’s personal letters written to his mother during this time period. These letters, which have until recently gone largely unnoticed despite their rich historical and personal value, reveal a deeper understanding of each 3 project’s personal and human components, reaching beyond the straight facts of academic excavation through the documentation of personal experience. The study has sought to answer the following questions about Sanborn’s involvement and overall impact: What was the extent of Sanborn’s participation and professional responsibilities throughout each expedition? Did the degree of his involvement change between archaeological sites or expedition leaders? How may the expectations of
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