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Giovanni Belzoni, an early Egyptologist, wrote in 1821 what it was like to enter an Egyptian tomb.

[…]

I sought a resting place, found one and contrived to sit; but when my weight bore on the body of a dead Egyptian, it crushed it like a band box. Naturally I had recourse to my hands to sustain my weight, but they found no better support; so that I collapsed together among the broken mummies with such a crash of bones, rags and wooden cases as kept me motionless for a quarter of an hour, waiting until it subsided again. I could not remove from the place, however, without increasing it and every step I took I crushed a mummy in some place or another… Thus I proceeded from one cave to another, all full of mummies piled up in various ways, some standing, some lying and some on their heads.


Source:

Stephens, John Richard. “Ignorance & Intelligence.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 115. Print.


Further Reading:

Giovanni Battista Belzoni / The Great Belzoni

>[Giovanni Belzoni](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Belzoni1.jpg), an early Egyptologist, wrote in 1821 what it was like to enter an Egyptian tomb. >>[…] >>I sought a resting place, found one and contrived to sit; but when my weight bore on the body of a dead Egyptian, it crushed it like a band box. Naturally I had recourse to my hands to sustain my weight, but they found no better support; so that I collapsed together among the broken mummies with such a crash of bones, rags and wooden cases as kept me motionless for a quarter of an hour, waiting until it subsided again. I could not remove from the place, however, without increasing it and every step I took I crushed a mummy in some place or another… Thus I proceeded from one cave to another, all full of mummies piled up in various ways, some standing, some lying and some on their heads. ___________________________ **Source:** Stephens, John Richard. “Ignorance & Intelligence.” *Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior*. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 115. Print. ___________________________ **Further Reading:** [Giovanni Battista Belzoni / The Great Belzoni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Belzoni)

1 comments

[–] Owlchemy 1 points (+1|-0)

Wow, an Egyptologist having a very bad day. Nowadays he'd be drummed out of the profession - LOL