The Dreams of Archaeology’

摘要

One of the most interesting recurrent tropes in the writings of archaeologists, as well as in the fictions of archaeology is the dream. Baron Denon 1 writes of Karnac in 1802: The imagination is fatigued with the mere thought of describing [these ruins] [. . .] to form a competent idea of so much magnificence it is necessary that the reader should fancy what is before him to be a dream, for even the spectator cannot believe his eyes. (qtd. in Ceram 122) In A.H. Layard's 1854 account of his excavations at Nineveh he writes: We look around in vain for any traces of the wonderful remains we have just seen, and are half inclined to believe we have dreamed a dream, or have been listening to some tale of Eastern romance. Some, who may hereafter tread on the spot when grass grows again over the ruins of the Assyrian palaces, may indeed suspect I have been relating a vision. (Popular 311)