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Tomb robbing is as old as the pyramids themselves. In Ancient Egypt, burial was not just a farewell; it was a transition to the afterlife, requiring the deceased to be surrounded by their worldly possessions. This concentrated wealth acted as a magnetic pull for thieves, often within hours of interment.
: Even the earliest Predynastic tombs were plundered for their treasures.
: Because tombs were seen as vehicles to the afterlife, robbing them was considered sacrilegious. Legal documents from the 20th Dynasty (1189–1077 B.C.E.) detail trials of gangs who pillaged rock-cut tombs in Thebes.
A Short History of Tomb-Raiding: The Epic Hunt for Egypt's Treasures
By the medieval and early modern periods, tomb raiding became more systematic.
: Many early modern hunts were steeped in the supernatural, with "expert magicians" hired to locate treasure and communicate with guarding spirits like ghosts or djinns.
The allure of buried gold has driven humanity to the depths of the earth for millennia. While modern cinema often paints tomb raiding as a high-stakes adventure, the real history is a complex mix of economic desperation, state-sanctioned looting, and the messy evolution of archaeology. 1. Ancient Origins: A Crime Against Eternity
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the birth of modern archaeology, though the line between "scholar" and "raider" remained blurred.
