Myths about Howard Carter’s Destitution after Sakkarah Incident

Part  5 ( of 5)

Book Blog:  Bibliography

Carnarvon, Carter  and  Tutankhamun  Revisited  

The  four previous  Book Blog  postings  cover the  main story about  the  Sakkarah  Incident and Howard Carter’s fall from grace in 1905.  A  bibliography - from which  the primary and other sources   are  to be found -  is a long one and will be included in the final  draft of the End Notes to the  chapter / chapters of  " Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited" that  relate to  the years  1900-1905.

Writers on  Howard Carter:  James,  Winstone,  Tyldesley, Reeves

There are  annotated  versions of  the  Sakkarah tale to  chew over  from  Carter’s  excellent  biographers  Harry  James  and Victor Winstone.  The academic  Joyce Tyldesley   offers  an interesting angle  in one her many books on  Egypt  saying that Carter would not budge on an apology for as long as the authorities failed to prosecute the  drunken Frenchmen for their part in the affray.  An  important  book    “ Howard Carter Before Tutankhamun” by C Nicholas Reeves offers  transcriptions from the official enquiry report, Commission,  and  other correspondence from the participants and  bystanders involved. [ To be covered in the book’s ' End Notes’.]

             Weak  history  from  biographer   Charles  Breasted  

in  " Pioneer of the Past"

James Henry Breasted

Besides the  above narratives  there are tainted tales amounting to weak history  in  a description  by  Charles Breasted in   the book  “Pioneer of the Past” ( published after Carter was dead ). 

This is  the biography by  Charles of his father, James Henry Breasted,  a distinguished  American  archeologist,  fund  raiser, and friend of the American  millionaire Rockefeller. James Breasted was a friend of  Flinders  Petrie and  worked in Egypt with the Carter team in  the days after the discovery of Tutankhamun.  His son’s biography  stands out too  as being the single source for the questionable tale of Carter  going to Highclere in  the summer of  1922 for a much mentioned  meeting with Lord Carnarvon about the Earl’s ultimatum that because nothing much had been found  in the Valley of the Kings   he would only fund one more year’s digging season in Egypt.   

                                     Lord   George  Carnarvon

Lord Carnarvon’s declining  health was the real reason  for discussing  any  last season’s work.

Breasted   tale   of  Carter’s destitution   discredited

Howard  Carter: Myths of destitution

Harry  James  discredits ( or at least  puts into context ) another  regularly told  story from Charles Breasted ( written 8 years after his father 's death)  that Carter  was forced by his reduced circumstances  into  living  under the roof of  a native – a former guard – whom Carter had dismissed, including being fed and given lodgings and money by his old disreputable employee.

The impression given is  that these handouts to Carter were inappropriate-  because of the man’s  errant past, besides the low class and cast issues,  moreover that  such  charity was on tap for a long period. Rightly  Harry James points out that the help – if it was given at all -  was probably only for a very short period, even a matter of  a few days. Carter was  stunned  at  the difficulties of  readjusting after  his return to civilian life  but he  was always capable of earning a living and  finding and paying for his own basic but comfortable accommodation. 

 Carter’s  descent into poverty exaggerated

Breasted ( and others who have repeated the story ) have exaggerated Carter’s descent into poverty and any  level  of destitution  after he resigned from the Antiquities Service . Carter may have struggled as his assured  earnings, i.e. his salary had ended  but  he did slip   into the  world of private enterprise, with some  past experience as a dealer and knew the darker side of  transacting in  the buying and selling of ancient artefacts.  Carter handled the scene in Cairo  with more skill and success than asserted by  Breasted or others  give him credit.

                      

Arthur Weigall's Caricature

Arthur Weigall

A notorious caricature of Carter portrayed as a down and out by Arthur  Weigall,   a  colleague ( pictured above)  with whom Carter had ups and downs  and meant  as a  silly joke has  been  taken as a piece of  historical fact by bad historians and bad writers.

Taking Sides

It is  a damning  indictment  that some individuals  were accelerated to posts after Carter’s removal including the  scholarly  Oxford educated,  James Quibell and  the ruthless  Arthur Weigall,   although the latter was a man described  by Flinders  Petrie as   “ the most capable student we have ever had”  Weigell  was  tested to his limit  in the field  by   Petrie and found lacking in physical strength, with Weigell  leaving Petrie’s team  for  an easier  berth with a German archeologist, Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing.

Despite their University  backgrounds neither  of these two  ambitious  Carter ‘rivals’  Quibell nor Weigall matched Carter as a draftsman, in  digging  experience  or  in practical  knowledge or  stature  so far as Gaston Maspara or Flinders Petrie were concerned, both rivals were more accomplished authors or scholars; two  cannott  boast of always having clean hands in  their  dealings with Carter.   On Carter’s   return from leave and exile to  Tanta,  Weigall  ( with whom Carter was staying at the time of the Sakkarah incident )   succeeded  to Carter’s post as Chief Inspector.  Weigall wasted no time in favouring his own protégé,    Edward Ayrston; on succeeding Carter as Chief Inspector Weigall also made heavy criticisms about his predecessor’s work when in charge of the area.

Howard Carter’s Digging Rights : The Myths

Since Carter left his employment of his own accord he was not embargoed  from  working  in  the field ( another myth by some writers is to say that Carter lost his license to dig ).  Carter did not need a digging license,  moreover   he was free to  take up with  any patron looking for an expert advisor, artist or excavator. Hence Carter’s agreement with Lord George Carnarvon, and before this a short period working with  Theodore Davis. 

                               Theodore Davis ( left ) and Edward Ayrston ( right) 

Carter Was No Martyr

In October 1905, it seems Carter  deliberately  chose  private life, but this  was not  a martyrdom,  in any case Carter,  ever dogged  by inferiority  was incapable of feeling such a  superior state. It is more probable that despite the odds against Carter, he  urgently needed and sought  a sabbatical to  avoid a nervous breakdown.  One of  his  lady friends   in Cairo – who often dined out in Carter’s company- as well as  other ladies-  expressed relief that at last he was going to  enjoy  some quiet  peace of mind far from the madding crowd.   Whilst some people gave Carter a wide berth, others stood by him, not with hands outs but commissions.

Carter’s Temper : His Own  Worst Fool

Carter’s  temper was blistering, he was a vulnerable  young  man who showed  hot rage and fury whenever he was  cornered. He was often in  arguments quite  unable to see the consequences of his  own actions, or  take in that his snarling,  belligerent attitude often made a bad situation worse rather than  better.  And he was so predictable   Carter could be easily set up by others, fooled  and duped, he was his own worst fool as he could be primed and  provoked to hit out like clockwork  and not compromise for anyone. It was this same dogged determination not to concede that led to the notorious bust up with the Antiquities Service and  lock out at Tutankhamun’s Tomb in 1924.

                                      Those who helped and hindered Carter's plight in 1905-7

Carter’s Brooding,  Obstinacy and Autism.

Underlying all the  rage and apparent conceit Carter always brooded. This was from  his congenital  inability  to  fully understand   things in the world at large – it was also   a deep rooted trait from  a   part of his personality  that  was  disabled and had  never developed.  The state of  feeling sorry for  himself was not formed either, but a strain of  self preservation  probably  first  surfaced as a defense  response  to  the  tirade of  torment  he experienced in an abusive childhood at being told by his father  that he was worthless.  When his early  art  and tracing  work  was condemned  by   the hyper critical eye  of his  straight laced, humorless  father Samuel John Carter, Howard’s confidence   was  mentally destroyed.  He struck back by  sulking and displaying an uncontrolled state of   obstinacy.  As he reached  adulthood   Howard Carter  could not  handle well  any  form of  personal  chastisement or criticism,  his reaction and response was to return to his childish state of  obstinacy,   this  became entrenched  as  part of the  autism condition  that  Carter displayed  throughout his life.   

[ This is  a rough draft  of  part of a  proposed chapter   in    " Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited : The Hidden Truths and Doomed  Relationships”  

By William Cross, FSA Scot.   ]

Any queries about this book blog, please contact the Author, William Cross, by e-mail

williecross@aol.com

williecross@virginmedia.com