Anthony Charles Harris

Anthony Charles Harris ( * 1790 in the UK, † November 23, 1869 in Alexandria ) was a British businessman and art collector.

Life

As director of the trading company, Harris & Co., which he operated with his brother, he was also supplying the British Army. He lived nearly thirty years in Alexandria and was probably a first station to provide information for many travelers of that time, who arrived by ship in the port city. There is evidence that Joseph Bonomi the Younger, both with Anthony Harris 1828-1859 as well as with Selima Harris was in correspondence.

Because he was interested in the monuments of Egypt, he traveled the country and could read the hieroglyphics. In his published in 1851 " hieroglyphical standards Representing places in Egypt suppodes to nomes and toparchies " Harris published for the first time single figures as personifications of the various provinces of Egypt and their subdivisions. The merit of Harris is to have recognized the importance of this is so important for geographical research pictures first. His treatise was honorable mention in John Dümichen and Heinrich Brugsch.

Papyri Harris

Harris built up over the years a collection of Egyptian antiquities and papyri on. His name is forever linked with the "Papyrus Harris I". August Eisenlohr had already seen the papyri at Harris on his trip to Egypt in 1869/70. Among them were a papyrus found in hieratic script from the reign of Ramses III. , The longest surviving papyrus, particularly interested in the up Eisenlohr. When Harris died in November 1869, his adopted daughter and heiress Selima returned to England and Eisenlohr cataloged his collection for a later sale. He already knew the Francois Chabas 1860 translated papyrus entitled " Le papyrus magique Harris ". To hereof distinction he called the largest and longest of the hieratic roles "The Great Harris Papyrus ".

Another Papyrus Harris of 1.45 m length and max. 19.5 cm height ( also Papyrus Harris 500) is of particular interest. Here missing beginning and end. Is described on the front and back. It contains a collection of literary texts. On the front:

On the rear panel are two late - Egyptian stories, " The Capture of Joppa " ( 1.1-3.14 ) and "The Doomed Prince " ( 41 - 8.14).

The papyrus is kept under glass in a frame and not loaned to other museums.

While the better-preserved part of " The Magical Papyrus Harris " from the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III. (1198-1166 BC) was acquired by the British Museum in London, came the highly fragmentary end of the papyrus roll - that was considered lost - " winding paths " to Heidelberg, where it was recently rediscovered. Burn marks indicate that it was damaged by the explosion of gun-cotton. The papyrus is now in the Egyptian collection of the University of Heidelberg. " Come to me, ... you dump millions of millions! ... You, who has 77 eyes and 77 ears! ... " Says the magical Papyrus Harris from the reign of Ramses III. (1198-1166 BC). Ritual talked about a small statuette or Udjat or Eye of Horus, the callee should be here in Ancient Egypt inhabit the amulet and protect the caller with his cattle herd from Nile crocodiles.

The Magical Papyrus in London consists of two fragments, framed 38.2 × 25.6 cm in size. They are described on the front and back with hieratischem text. It is a collection of hymns and incantations ( spells? ) Refer with particular focus on the defense of crocodiles (front) and other dangerous animals ( back). This papyrus translated Francois Chabas 1860 under the title " Le papyrus magique Harris ".

The papyri - a total of about 20 rolls - came from a grave in Medinet Habu and were offered according to Francois Chabas in the introduction to his book in 1855, Anthony Harris in Luxor. However, this did not have enough money on him to buy all the papyri can.

In the surrendered August Eisenlohr of Selma Harris notebooks of this AC Harris found a note from January 1858 on the archaeological site, which may have been written after the close examination of the finding place:

" This is the description which Mr. Harris has made use of the locality: The Papyrus Square. Behind the temple of Medinet - Abu (the same as is known, beyond the ancient Thebes on the left bank of the Nile ) in the gorge, which leads to the El Medinet, 225 step walking through the mounds of rubble from the northeast corner of the ramparts of the el Medinet after the foot of the southern hill of the canyon - about twenty feet below the earth is a raw cave in the rock, which was when it was first opened, filled with mummies, all of which had been torn to pieces in earlier times. This hole was covered with broken glass, which were connected by clay with the earth that was about it. We found nothing in this cave as a mummy robes and bones. - This place was probably related to a better tomb above the cave, which is now destroyed. We found there only a stamped brick. "

Through the mediation of August Eisenlohr Selima Harris sold 1872, the Egyptian collection of the papyri to the British Museum.

Anthony Charles Harris was buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Alexandria.

Works

AC Harris: hieroglyphical standards Representing places in Egypt: Supposed to be its nomes and toparchies. Publisher George Barclay, London 1851 online